Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Sunday, September 7, 2014
My Latest Realization
So, this weekend I had a life changing realization:
I don't like teaching all of the subjects.
I guess the realization came as a result of a conversation I had with my co-worker on Friday afternoon. I was saying how when I was student teaching, I really enjoyed teaching writing. It was fun and didn't seem that hard. But last year and this year, it's been so difficult. I have similar feelings about reading. There are so many fun things you can do with reading, but it's hard to know exactly what, or how, given the various reading levels in your class. And then there's science and social studies. I find them both extremely fascinating, but making the content interesting and engaging enough for 11- and 12-year-olds to find it fascinating is an entirely different story. And I won't even begin to complain about having to teach art, P.E. and computers. That leaves math.
And there it is...I would love it if I only taught math.
But dang it, I'm an elementary school teacher. I'd have to teach middle or high school if I only wanted to do math. But wait! I teach 6th grade math. And most places, and even some places in Utah, have 6th grade in middle school. And guess what else? The curriculum I've taught the past two years is Common Core. Most states have adopted the math Common Core. That means I could teach 6th grade middle school math just about anywhere. And I'm technically certified to teach grades 1-8. I'd probably just have to look into a couple of classes or something to get a math specialization and BOOM. I'd have a job that maybe I'd enjoy. Because the last 6 weeks have NOT been enjoyable. In fact, they've been the opposite of enjoyable.
The only problem with this new plan for my life...I still have a little more than 9 months left of this school year. Dang.
I don't like teaching all of the subjects.
I guess the realization came as a result of a conversation I had with my co-worker on Friday afternoon. I was saying how when I was student teaching, I really enjoyed teaching writing. It was fun and didn't seem that hard. But last year and this year, it's been so difficult. I have similar feelings about reading. There are so many fun things you can do with reading, but it's hard to know exactly what, or how, given the various reading levels in your class. And then there's science and social studies. I find them both extremely fascinating, but making the content interesting and engaging enough for 11- and 12-year-olds to find it fascinating is an entirely different story. And I won't even begin to complain about having to teach art, P.E. and computers. That leaves math.
And there it is...I would love it if I only taught math.
But dang it, I'm an elementary school teacher. I'd have to teach middle or high school if I only wanted to do math. But wait! I teach 6th grade math. And most places, and even some places in Utah, have 6th grade in middle school. And guess what else? The curriculum I've taught the past two years is Common Core. Most states have adopted the math Common Core. That means I could teach 6th grade middle school math just about anywhere. And I'm technically certified to teach grades 1-8. I'd probably just have to look into a couple of classes or something to get a math specialization and BOOM. I'd have a job that maybe I'd enjoy. Because the last 6 weeks have NOT been enjoyable. In fact, they've been the opposite of enjoyable.
The only problem with this new plan for my life...I still have a little more than 9 months left of this school year. Dang.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Dating in the Eyes of a 6th Grader
Today I had the funniest conversation with one of my students. We were out at recess and a couple of girls came up and asked me a question about what they should do about some girl drama. Anyways, that's not the funny part.
Somehow then we shifted into talking about boys. And Sally, we'll call her, admitted that she is "going out" with one of the boys from our class. Apparently he texts her all the time and was really upset when she didn't respond to him this morning because she's grounded from her phone. But that's still not the funny part. They then went on to tell me of two other interclass couples that I have. So my curiosity was piqued. What do they think they are accomplishing by "going out" with someone? Here is a paraphrasing of our dialogue:
Ms. G: So, tell me, what does it mean when you say that you're "going out" with someone?
Sally: Well, it means that we're dating!
Ms. G: So you go on dates?
Sally: NO! Hahaha
Ms. G: So you sit with each other at lunch?
Sally: No! *giggle*
Ms. G: So...you hang out at recess?
Sally: Haha nooo!
Ms. G: Then what does it mean?!
Sally: Well...sometimes we hug after school.
Ms. G: *nodding* Ok, I see. So I hugged a boy yesterday...does that mean he's my boyfriend?
Sally: Oh my gosh, noooo!!
I think the thing that I love most about this is that the unlogical logic of 6th graders hasn't changed one bit since I was one of them.
Somehow then we shifted into talking about boys. And Sally, we'll call her, admitted that she is "going out" with one of the boys from our class. Apparently he texts her all the time and was really upset when she didn't respond to him this morning because she's grounded from her phone. But that's still not the funny part. They then went on to tell me of two other interclass couples that I have. So my curiosity was piqued. What do they think they are accomplishing by "going out" with someone? Here is a paraphrasing of our dialogue:
Ms. G: So, tell me, what does it mean when you say that you're "going out" with someone?
Sally: Well, it means that we're dating!
Ms. G: So you go on dates?
Sally: NO! Hahaha
Ms. G: So you sit with each other at lunch?
Sally: No! *giggle*
Ms. G: So...you hang out at recess?
Sally: Haha nooo!
Ms. G: Then what does it mean?!
Sally: Well...sometimes we hug after school.
Ms. G: *nodding* Ok, I see. So I hugged a boy yesterday...does that mean he's my boyfriend?
Sally: Oh my gosh, noooo!!
I think the thing that I love most about this is that the unlogical logic of 6th graders hasn't changed one bit since I was one of them.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
My Two Cents on Depression
Robin William's death is absolutely tragic and he will be missed by millions of people. I'll admit, I'm not usually one to comment about stuff like this, but this one hit close to home and has left me with lots of thoughts that I actually want to share.
I have a strong belief that there are two different kinds of depression. There's the kind that pretty much everyone deals with from time to time. Life gets tough, things aren't going well, you get discouraged and kind of sad. It sucks.
Then there's the other kind. The one where you don't know why you're unhappy. All you know is that there is a dark cloud over you that won't disappear, no matter how hard you try to outrun it. It follows you and rains on you and makes life more miserable than words can even begin to describe. I like to distinguish this kind of depression from the other by calling it clinical depression. I absolutely believe that it is due to a chemical imbalance in your brain. No matter how hard you fight it, sheer will power will not conquer this kind of depression.
I have suffered from both of these kinds of depression. While the first kind is not pleasant in any way, there is no way to describe the hell that is clinical depression. Nobody on this Earth could ever begin to understand what it's like unless they've experienced it themselves. And then I really think that it's completely different for each and every case. So there is nobody on this Earth that can ever fully understand another person's depression.
I could tell you about how awful it was for me; about how often and how long I would cry; about how I didn't even know why I was really upset; about how broken and helpless I felt; about how fatigued I always was; about how I had no interest in anything except for sleeping because it was an escape from this world. But even if I was able to describe it perfectly in words, you still would have absolutely no idea what it was actually like for me.
You can't judge anyone based on the fact that they've dealt with depression. There isn't anyone who you can "target" as being depressed. There isn't anything that makes someone especially more susceptible to depression than others (except maybe genetics). I was a missionary when I was clinically depressed. There has never been a time in my life when I was living closer to God than during that time, yet I was struck with this illness. It isn't that hard to hide either. You never know who is struggling with depression.
Thankfully my experience never escalated in severity enough to make me contemplate suicide. I never lost hope in there being something better sometime. I don't know if it was my faith or my personality or just what, but I can see how it could be completely different for others.
I was able to get out of the pit though because I sought help. I had Jo and Sara, two of the best companions and friends that I could have had at the time. I went to a counselor. I went to the doctor. I think it was a combination of medication and God's will that healed me, along with time and patience. I was lucky with how short of time I had to deal with it (although I know that doesn't mean I'll never have to deal with it again). Others have to fight it for longer. And it's harder. And it's not fair. And we have no idea what kinds of demons they are facing. I'm not saying that I condone suicide, but there's no way that we know what a person feels like they have to escape from. Because it can be pretty damn terrible and you don't even have a real reason why.
Long story short, I wish everyone would stop talking about depression like they're experts. Nobody knows anything about someone else's depression.
P.S. You can read more about my personal experience with depression here.
I have a strong belief that there are two different kinds of depression. There's the kind that pretty much everyone deals with from time to time. Life gets tough, things aren't going well, you get discouraged and kind of sad. It sucks.
Then there's the other kind. The one where you don't know why you're unhappy. All you know is that there is a dark cloud over you that won't disappear, no matter how hard you try to outrun it. It follows you and rains on you and makes life more miserable than words can even begin to describe. I like to distinguish this kind of depression from the other by calling it clinical depression. I absolutely believe that it is due to a chemical imbalance in your brain. No matter how hard you fight it, sheer will power will not conquer this kind of depression.
I have suffered from both of these kinds of depression. While the first kind is not pleasant in any way, there is no way to describe the hell that is clinical depression. Nobody on this Earth could ever begin to understand what it's like unless they've experienced it themselves. And then I really think that it's completely different for each and every case. So there is nobody on this Earth that can ever fully understand another person's depression.
I could tell you about how awful it was for me; about how often and how long I would cry; about how I didn't even know why I was really upset; about how broken and helpless I felt; about how fatigued I always was; about how I had no interest in anything except for sleeping because it was an escape from this world. But even if I was able to describe it perfectly in words, you still would have absolutely no idea what it was actually like for me.
You can't judge anyone based on the fact that they've dealt with depression. There isn't anyone who you can "target" as being depressed. There isn't anything that makes someone especially more susceptible to depression than others (except maybe genetics). I was a missionary when I was clinically depressed. There has never been a time in my life when I was living closer to God than during that time, yet I was struck with this illness. It isn't that hard to hide either. You never know who is struggling with depression.
Thankfully my experience never escalated in severity enough to make me contemplate suicide. I never lost hope in there being something better sometime. I don't know if it was my faith or my personality or just what, but I can see how it could be completely different for others.
I was able to get out of the pit though because I sought help. I had Jo and Sara, two of the best companions and friends that I could have had at the time. I went to a counselor. I went to the doctor. I think it was a combination of medication and God's will that healed me, along with time and patience. I was lucky with how short of time I had to deal with it (although I know that doesn't mean I'll never have to deal with it again). Others have to fight it for longer. And it's harder. And it's not fair. And we have no idea what kinds of demons they are facing. I'm not saying that I condone suicide, but there's no way that we know what a person feels like they have to escape from. Because it can be pretty damn terrible and you don't even have a real reason why.
Long story short, I wish everyone would stop talking about depression like they're experts. Nobody knows anything about someone else's depression.
P.S. You can read more about my personal experience with depression here.
Friday, August 1, 2014
TGIF
Seriously. There is nobody that says TGIF and means it more than a teacher. Especially a teacher who just finished the first week of school.
Let me tell you...it was a doozy. The highlight of my school days? The two days that some of my students from last year came to visit me. It warmed my heart.
Otherwise, it was a bit hellish. Hmm. Maybe I'm being dramatic.
But I will give you an illustration of how annoying I'm finding it to manage my new class. On Wednesday, after stopping for the nth time to wait for them to be quiet since they didn't seem to care that I was speaking, I had the thought that I needed to get a stop watch. I would wear this stop watch around my neck so I could easily keep track of all of my time that they wasted. In turn, I would then waste their time. Yesterday I was lenient and let them work off their time before recess, but today I made them sit at their desks with their heads down for 8 minutes during recess because that's how much time they wasted this morning. And they already owe me 3 minutes on Monday. I really hope that they catch on soon that I mean business.
In the meantime, I had a lovely night. For dinner I ate some Jalapeno Cheetos, some fruit snacks, and some old chocolate chip cookies. And watched 4 episodes of Castle. Oops. I've found my new binge show. I should probably go to the grocery store and get some real food though.
Let me tell you...it was a doozy. The highlight of my school days? The two days that some of my students from last year came to visit me. It warmed my heart.
Otherwise, it was a bit hellish. Hmm. Maybe I'm being dramatic.
Yes. Definitely being dramatic.
But I will give you an illustration of how annoying I'm finding it to manage my new class. On Wednesday, after stopping for the nth time to wait for them to be quiet since they didn't seem to care that I was speaking, I had the thought that I needed to get a stop watch. I would wear this stop watch around my neck so I could easily keep track of all of my time that they wasted. In turn, I would then waste their time. Yesterday I was lenient and let them work off their time before recess, but today I made them sit at their desks with their heads down for 8 minutes during recess because that's how much time they wasted this morning. And they already owe me 3 minutes on Monday. I really hope that they catch on soon that I mean business.
In the meantime, I had a lovely night. For dinner I ate some Jalapeno Cheetos, some fruit snacks, and some old chocolate chip cookies. And watched 4 episodes of Castle. Oops. I've found my new binge show. I should probably go to the grocery store and get some real food though.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
A Lesson of Year 23
So, today was not the greatest day, let alone birthday. The first day of school for Ms. G was not very fun. I'll spare the details beyond saying I had 5 girls and 13 rambunctious boys today. Heaven help me figure out how to get a handle on them. Soon.
Despite the lameness that the majority of the day held, it ended up being pretty good. My awesome new roommate, Hailee, posted on the ward Facebook page that it was my birthday and invited anyone who felt so inclined to come get ice cream with us. I was a little skeptical as to whether anyone would come. I've briefly met lots of people, but don't really have any actual friends yet, you know? But there were a few of us that met up and went over and I was okay with just getting anyone to come...that's how pathetic my life has been the past year or so! But then...there's like a whole group of people waiting when we get there! I was so happy that I got to meet some new people and that some of the people I've gotten a bit acquainted with were there too. And there was ice cream. Which means it was good. Duh.
But, that wasn't the purpose of this entry. At one point, it was down to just a few of us left, and the conversation turned serious (after our semi-intense conversation about the Star Wars saga, of course). One of the guys turned to me and said, "So Stephanie, what is the life lesson you learned this past year of your life?" Wow, what a fantastically deep question! I responded with a laugh and said, "Well, where to even start?! It was a hard year and I learned a lot." I quickly racked my brain to decide what lesson was worthy to be shared, and I was quite pleased with the one that I came up with:
The love that I had for my students over my first year of teaching was incredible. I had this bunch of impressionable kids that were mine. I was in charge of them. I was responsible for what went into their heads, and also their hearts. And I came to love them so much and care so much for their well being and their future. And around the time that school got out for me in June I had this wonderful aha moment. I realized that I was getting just a glimpse of what the Savior's love for us feels like. He loves us so incredibly much and has done so much for us. More than we can even begin to imagine. And after all He has done, He just has to sit and watch us, hoping that we'll take advantage of His labors, but it's all up to us. But in the end, no matter what, He still loves us unconditionally and just hopes we'll make the right choices. And that's how I felt as a teacher. I had done so much for my kids, but in the end I just had to hope that they'd make the right choices. And that was an incredible thing that I learned this year.
Don't worry, I'm pretty sure that speech insured some future dates.
Despite the lameness that the majority of the day held, it ended up being pretty good. My awesome new roommate, Hailee, posted on the ward Facebook page that it was my birthday and invited anyone who felt so inclined to come get ice cream with us. I was a little skeptical as to whether anyone would come. I've briefly met lots of people, but don't really have any actual friends yet, you know? But there were a few of us that met up and went over and I was okay with just getting anyone to come...that's how pathetic my life has been the past year or so! But then...there's like a whole group of people waiting when we get there! I was so happy that I got to meet some new people and that some of the people I've gotten a bit acquainted with were there too. And there was ice cream. Which means it was good. Duh.
But, that wasn't the purpose of this entry. At one point, it was down to just a few of us left, and the conversation turned serious (after our semi-intense conversation about the Star Wars saga, of course). One of the guys turned to me and said, "So Stephanie, what is the life lesson you learned this past year of your life?" Wow, what a fantastically deep question! I responded with a laugh and said, "Well, where to even start?! It was a hard year and I learned a lot." I quickly racked my brain to decide what lesson was worthy to be shared, and I was quite pleased with the one that I came up with:
The love that I had for my students over my first year of teaching was incredible. I had this bunch of impressionable kids that were mine. I was in charge of them. I was responsible for what went into their heads, and also their hearts. And I came to love them so much and care so much for their well being and their future. And around the time that school got out for me in June I had this wonderful aha moment. I realized that I was getting just a glimpse of what the Savior's love for us feels like. He loves us so incredibly much and has done so much for us. More than we can even begin to imagine. And after all He has done, He just has to sit and watch us, hoping that we'll take advantage of His labors, but it's all up to us. But in the end, no matter what, He still loves us unconditionally and just hopes we'll make the right choices. And that's how I felt as a teacher. I had done so much for my kids, but in the end I just had to hope that they'd make the right choices. And that was an incredible thing that I learned this year.
Don't worry, I'm pretty sure that speech insured some future dates.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Just Another Day
Tomorrow is the first day of school.
Actually, it doesn't really matter to me. It's just another day, right?
Well, not really. Because it's the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
I keep bouncing back and forth between being really kind of excited and being a little nervous. I should really be more nervous, I think. It will probably kick in tonight when I'm going to bed, and I'll be super nervous. But, I think I just have a super good feeling about this year because it's not my first year anymore! I actually have a bit of a clue of what I'm doing. It's still going to be a lot of hard work, but I think I'll be better at managing my time and I do already have a lot of lessons from last year I can reuse.
I even already have a great adventure story that I can tell my kids. I went dumpster diving in the school dumpster. This past week, the sixth grade team had just been chucking anything we didn't want out into the hallway and we were going to decide what to do with it later. Well, during our lunch break one day, the custodian decided to just help us out and he cleared it all out to the dumpster. Which was totally fine and we were really grateful...until we realized that a pile of science poster activities we had just bought from the district media center had been in the hallway and were now gone. Whoops. Our bad. Thankfully the dumpster wasn't very full and it was all just boxes and posters. No smelly lunchroom trash. But as I'm sure you can figure out, I was the hero and saved the day by fishing our moon and solar system posters out of the dumpster. Yet another reason why working custodial for two and half years paid off later in life. No reservations whatsoever about just jumping in a dumpster. Now I should apply that principle to other aspects of my life. No fear, I'm just gonna jump right in! Ha...we'll see.
Tomorrow is also my birthday.
Happy birthday to me.
Actually, it doesn't really matter to me. It's just another day, right?
Well, not really. Because it's the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
I keep bouncing back and forth between being really kind of excited and being a little nervous. I should really be more nervous, I think. It will probably kick in tonight when I'm going to bed, and I'll be super nervous. But, I think I just have a super good feeling about this year because it's not my first year anymore! I actually have a bit of a clue of what I'm doing. It's still going to be a lot of hard work, but I think I'll be better at managing my time and I do already have a lot of lessons from last year I can reuse.
I even already have a great adventure story that I can tell my kids. I went dumpster diving in the school dumpster. This past week, the sixth grade team had just been chucking anything we didn't want out into the hallway and we were going to decide what to do with it later. Well, during our lunch break one day, the custodian decided to just help us out and he cleared it all out to the dumpster. Which was totally fine and we were really grateful...until we realized that a pile of science poster activities we had just bought from the district media center had been in the hallway and were now gone. Whoops. Our bad. Thankfully the dumpster wasn't very full and it was all just boxes and posters. No smelly lunchroom trash. But as I'm sure you can figure out, I was the hero and saved the day by fishing our moon and solar system posters out of the dumpster. Yet another reason why working custodial for two and half years paid off later in life. No reservations whatsoever about just jumping in a dumpster. Now I should apply that principle to other aspects of my life. No fear, I'm just gonna jump right in! Ha...we'll see.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Friday, July 11, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
Naval Hiding Place
Umm, the funniest thing just happened.
This morning, I was a little chilly while I was getting ready, so I put on a hoodie. Then, when I was ready to get dressed for real, I obviously took it off, and as I was walking to my room to change my shirt, I felt something falling down my back. I freaked out for a second, obviously jumping to the conclusion that it was a giant spider crawling down my back. I reached back and realize it was just the back to my earring. I reached under my shirt and got it and then felt up at my ear to see if the front part was still there. Gone.
I spent a good five minutes searching for it. I searched through my hoodie, my shirt, all over the ground, in the areas where it could have fallen off. Nothing. I gave it up for the time being and hoped that it would show up because I really love those earrings.
That was about ten hours ago. Just a minute ago, I reached down and itched my stomach and thought that my bellybutton felt a little more uncomfortable than normal. I felt it again.
My earring is in my bellybutton. I am dead serious. I didn't know until just now. Now I want to know how many other things I could safely and unnoticeably store there.
This morning, I was a little chilly while I was getting ready, so I put on a hoodie. Then, when I was ready to get dressed for real, I obviously took it off, and as I was walking to my room to change my shirt, I felt something falling down my back. I freaked out for a second, obviously jumping to the conclusion that it was a giant spider crawling down my back. I reached back and realize it was just the back to my earring. I reached under my shirt and got it and then felt up at my ear to see if the front part was still there. Gone.
I spent a good five minutes searching for it. I searched through my hoodie, my shirt, all over the ground, in the areas where it could have fallen off. Nothing. I gave it up for the time being and hoped that it would show up because I really love those earrings.
That was about ten hours ago. Just a minute ago, I reached down and itched my stomach and thought that my bellybutton felt a little more uncomfortable than normal. I felt it again.
My earring is in my bellybutton. I am dead serious. I didn't know until just now. Now I want to know how many other things I could safely and unnoticeably store there.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Monday, June 2, 2014
A Penny for Some Thoughts About Pennies
In sixth grade we have the joy of starting to learn about argument essays. They've done persuasive essays before, but now it's argumentative...meaning they have to read articles and back up their opinion with facts. Ha. Let me tell you how NOT fun that is to teach.
So anyways, back in March I gave a writing assignment based on a couple articles about reasons why the U.S. is debating getting rid of the penny. Obvious assignment: Should the U.S. keep the penny, or stop circulation?
I was reading through them tonight (don't worry about the fact that it's 3 months after I gave the assignment that I'm finally grading them...grading is probably worse than making seating charts, and grading essays is the worst that there is) and I ran across one that made me stop and think. This kid's right. Even though the essay itself isn't quite up to par, he's got some good points I want to share:
So anyways, back in March I gave a writing assignment based on a couple articles about reasons why the U.S. is debating getting rid of the penny. Obvious assignment: Should the U.S. keep the penny, or stop circulation?
I was reading through them tonight (don't worry about the fact that it's 3 months after I gave the assignment that I'm finally grading them...grading is probably worse than making seating charts, and grading essays is the worst that there is) and I ran across one that made me stop and think. This kid's right. Even though the essay itself isn't quite up to par, he's got some good points I want to share:
- "Another reason I think they should get rid of [pennies] is because you can't really buy like a bike with all pennies."
- "Most of the time you find a penny you pick it up or just walk past it but if you see a dollar bill you are going to defiantly pick it up and be happy." (Autocorrect changed his misformed spelling of definitely into defiantly, but I think I like the edit better than the originally intended word.)
- "The penny is so little and dirty all the time I think they proudly should clean them better."
- "Just think if there was only pennies and no dollar bills that would be hard to count because if you mess up you have to start over."
Alright, I'm convinced. Get rid of the penny, America. Or at least proudly clean them better, sheesh.
Ok, I've got more. These are from various students.
Ok, I've got more. These are from various students.
- "The penny is important just like education." (New favorite student.)
- "Pennies are useless there only point is to get lost in your purse and to throw around and spin on the table probly loose them and then find it and forget about it." (So true.)
- "A nickel cost 7.7 cents to make. That's messed up it cost more to make a nickel than it's actually worth. It cost two cents to make a one cent coin that's messed up like really it cost more to make than its worth." (Yes, it's all so messed up.)
- "Aberham Lincon is on the penny no one want to get rid of him he is awesome. If we get ride of Aberham Lincon no one os going to remember him duh!!" (Couldn't have said it better myself.)
Monday, May 26, 2014
Tears, every time.
Seriously, one of the best love stories ever told is told by J.K. Rowling in Harry Potter.
"After all this time?"
"Always."
Tears, every time.
"After all this time?"
"Always."
Tears, every time.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Nothing is More Irksome...
...than 6th graders who think nothing is less important than their school work.
I have got to stop waiting till the weekend to grade papers. It just makes me so angry.
I have got to stop waiting till the weekend to grade papers. It just makes me so angry.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
The Worst School Day
So, yesterday was a ridiculously terrible day. You wanna hear about it? Good.
First thing, we had P.E., which would be awesome if we had a P.E. specialist. But we don't, so that leaves me to "teach" it. That usually means dodgeball because the kids love it. Well, I decided that I was going to be different and I remembered we had one of those huge, gigantic balls in the equipment room. I wanted to pull out a classic: crab soccer. My kids are obsessed with soccer, and I thought it would be a fun twist on their normal game. Plus, I remember having fun with it when I was a kid. Well, about 5 seconds after I blew my whistle to start the game, they started freaking out. "Ms. G, this hurts!" "Ms. G, do we have to do this?" "Teacher, this isn't really working with the skirt I'm wearing." Their suggestion was to get out the little roll-y scooters of death, as I have now dubbed them. You, know, these:
Whoever the hell decided that these were a good idea for elementary school P.E. was out of his damn mind. (That's how well P.E. went after finally consenting to get these suckers out.) I had at least two kids get huffy and/or cry as they stormed off to the side of the gym because of smashed fingers. Three kids were hiding in the little cutout corner trying to skateboard. I promptly confiscated their scooters and they sat out the rest of the time. I saw several kids fly (yes, literally fly) horizontally several feet off their scooters. There were many more minor smashings and bruisings that remained unreported. There was a really great reason that I had not gone against my better judgement and pulled out those scooters earlier in the year. It will never happen again.
I wish I could say that it ended there, but my morning was just getting started. During a math review game, I was going around checking groups' answers, when I find a kid using my mechanical pencil that I was sure I had left at least somewhere on my desk, if not in my pencil jar. I nonchalantly said, "Hey, I think that's my pencil." The conniving kid fakes a really surprised look as he said, "Oh, I found it on the ground. Here," and hands it to me. That's not the first time it's happened. (For example, just last week he commandeered a clicky blue pen that was most definitely mine. It wasn't worth the fight though and I let it go. Not my purple-mechanical-pencil-with-the-clicky-thing-on-the-side-so-I-don't-have-to-adjust-my-hand-while-writing-to-dispense-more-lead though. Not to mention it was a teacher appreciation gift.) Well, I'd say that was that, but it wasn't. About twenty to thirty minutes later, I see the same kid with my VIS-A-VIS WET ERASE MARKER ABOUT TO WRITE ON HIS PAPER. Oh, no he di-in't. I swooped and snatched it out of his hand like a hawk. He most definitely got that out of my pencil jar and I called him out on it. Which made him quite unhappy. And I chose to just walk away and let him call me whatever terrible names he uttered, which I'm sure were not just a few.
Am I done yet? Of course not. We're hardly halfway through the morning.
I had a student who had complained to me earlier that he wasn't feeling very well. That is such a...there's no good word for it. Annoying is too strong a word. But I can't really do anything for a kid who doesn't feel well, so I don't know why they're telling me. I asked him if he needed to go to the bathroom or the office, and he said no, so I told him to let me know if he changed his mind and that was that. He complained again later about his stomach and I told him if he felt like he was going to throw up that he should grab the trashcan and head to the bathroom (seriously one of the best things I learned in college to tell your kids to do). Well, I'm working with a small reading group and the class is all busy and on task, and this poor kid is sitting on the floor beside me because he's still not feeling real great and I'm meeting with his group. I suddenly notice he's gulping huge amounts of air. You know, like you do when you're trying really hard not to throw up? I have half a mind to tell someone to get him the trashcan, but then I got sidetracked by something with my group. Next thing I know... "BLARGHHH" Yup. He puked. All over himself and the floor. And of course he does it several times before someone gets him the trashcan. (I was trapped behind my kidney table with him blocking my only escape. Dang, I wish I'd have whipped out my ninja skills and flipped over the table. #opportunitymissed) Well, I'll skip the rest of the super gory details. I got him out of there with the trashcan and escorted to the office with one kid while another one went to get the custodian. Luckily we did not have to evacuate. No chunks or smell. But, the rest of guided reading was kind of shot.
Things were okay for the rest of the 45 minutes until lunch recess, except that I had a bunch of kids who stayed in from recess to "work on missing work." I caught two of my girls point blank doing each others worksheets like I was an idiot. I finally got rid of them at lunch and had hardly 15 minutes to myself.
I guess that was pretty much most of the drama for the day. Nothing in the afternoon really sticks out to me. Except that for the first time in over a week I didn't have to be on duty for afternoon recess (last week we were testing every afternoon and went out for recess after everyone else, so I had to go out every day). I was excited to kick out everyone and have 15 minutes to sit down. But no, I had an overachiever trying to finish his math worksheet and was asking for help. And then when he finally finished and went outside, they called for one of my students to check out. Seriously? I thought that's why we had to take the walkie talkie out for recess duty. So I had to run all the way outside and across the field to get this girl. What a nice recess break. Yeah, totally selfish, I know.
Oh, one more thing. I have a girl who has stayed after school sometimes to get some math help. Well, yesterday after the bell rang for the end of the day she asks me if she can call her dad, so I say sure and point to the classroom phone. I'm going around tidying up or whatever and I hear her saying, "Hi Daddy, I'm staying after, ok?" Uhh, wait a minute. You're doing what? I'm glad your Daddy knows now, but does your teacher know that you're staying after so she can help you with math? It wasn't a big deal, but just annoying that sometimes people are so assuming that teachers have absolutely nothing to do once school is over.
Well, I hope that was at least a little entertaining for you to read. I will say, it was quite entertaining for me to write. I'm gonna have to write another post soon about how funny [I think] I have been lately.
First thing, we had P.E., which would be awesome if we had a P.E. specialist. But we don't, so that leaves me to "teach" it. That usually means dodgeball because the kids love it. Well, I decided that I was going to be different and I remembered we had one of those huge, gigantic balls in the equipment room. I wanted to pull out a classic: crab soccer. My kids are obsessed with soccer, and I thought it would be a fun twist on their normal game. Plus, I remember having fun with it when I was a kid. Well, about 5 seconds after I blew my whistle to start the game, they started freaking out. "Ms. G, this hurts!" "Ms. G, do we have to do this?" "Teacher, this isn't really working with the skirt I'm wearing." Their suggestion was to get out the little roll-y scooters of death, as I have now dubbed them. You, know, these:
I wish I could say that it ended there, but my morning was just getting started. During a math review game, I was going around checking groups' answers, when I find a kid using my mechanical pencil that I was sure I had left at least somewhere on my desk, if not in my pencil jar. I nonchalantly said, "Hey, I think that's my pencil." The conniving kid fakes a really surprised look as he said, "Oh, I found it on the ground. Here," and hands it to me. That's not the first time it's happened. (For example, just last week he commandeered a clicky blue pen that was most definitely mine. It wasn't worth the fight though and I let it go. Not my purple-mechanical-pencil-with-the-clicky-thing-on-the-side-so-I-don't-have-to-adjust-my-hand-while-writing-to-dispense-more-lead though. Not to mention it was a teacher appreciation gift.) Well, I'd say that was that, but it wasn't. About twenty to thirty minutes later, I see the same kid with my VIS-A-VIS WET ERASE MARKER ABOUT TO WRITE ON HIS PAPER. Oh, no he di-in't. I swooped and snatched it out of his hand like a hawk. He most definitely got that out of my pencil jar and I called him out on it. Which made him quite unhappy. And I chose to just walk away and let him call me whatever terrible names he uttered, which I'm sure were not just a few.
Am I done yet? Of course not. We're hardly halfway through the morning.
I had a student who had complained to me earlier that he wasn't feeling very well. That is such a...there's no good word for it. Annoying is too strong a word. But I can't really do anything for a kid who doesn't feel well, so I don't know why they're telling me. I asked him if he needed to go to the bathroom or the office, and he said no, so I told him to let me know if he changed his mind and that was that. He complained again later about his stomach and I told him if he felt like he was going to throw up that he should grab the trashcan and head to the bathroom (seriously one of the best things I learned in college to tell your kids to do). Well, I'm working with a small reading group and the class is all busy and on task, and this poor kid is sitting on the floor beside me because he's still not feeling real great and I'm meeting with his group. I suddenly notice he's gulping huge amounts of air. You know, like you do when you're trying really hard not to throw up? I have half a mind to tell someone to get him the trashcan, but then I got sidetracked by something with my group. Next thing I know... "BLARGHHH" Yup. He puked. All over himself and the floor. And of course he does it several times before someone gets him the trashcan. (I was trapped behind my kidney table with him blocking my only escape. Dang, I wish I'd have whipped out my ninja skills and flipped over the table. #opportunitymissed) Well, I'll skip the rest of the super gory details. I got him out of there with the trashcan and escorted to the office with one kid while another one went to get the custodian. Luckily we did not have to evacuate. No chunks or smell. But, the rest of guided reading was kind of shot.
Things were okay for the rest of the 45 minutes until lunch recess, except that I had a bunch of kids who stayed in from recess to "work on missing work." I caught two of my girls point blank doing each others worksheets like I was an idiot. I finally got rid of them at lunch and had hardly 15 minutes to myself.
I guess that was pretty much most of the drama for the day. Nothing in the afternoon really sticks out to me. Except that for the first time in over a week I didn't have to be on duty for afternoon recess (last week we were testing every afternoon and went out for recess after everyone else, so I had to go out every day). I was excited to kick out everyone and have 15 minutes to sit down. But no, I had an overachiever trying to finish his math worksheet and was asking for help. And then when he finally finished and went outside, they called for one of my students to check out. Seriously? I thought that's why we had to take the walkie talkie out for recess duty. So I had to run all the way outside and across the field to get this girl. What a nice recess break. Yeah, totally selfish, I know.
Oh, one more thing. I have a girl who has stayed after school sometimes to get some math help. Well, yesterday after the bell rang for the end of the day she asks me if she can call her dad, so I say sure and point to the classroom phone. I'm going around tidying up or whatever and I hear her saying, "Hi Daddy, I'm staying after, ok?" Uhh, wait a minute. You're doing what? I'm glad your Daddy knows now, but does your teacher know that you're staying after so she can help you with math? It wasn't a big deal, but just annoying that sometimes people are so assuming that teachers have absolutely nothing to do once school is over.
Well, I hope that was at least a little entertaining for you to read. I will say, it was quite entertaining for me to write. I'm gonna have to write another post soon about how funny [I think] I have been lately.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Still My Truest Love
All I want to do right now is go on a Harry Potter reading binge. It's been a few years since I've read the books, and it's time. I even have a brand new paperback set that I need to break in. I just watched the last three movies and I'm remembering all of the details that are so much better in the books.
Good thing I go off track for 4 weeks really soon. Finish the series in a week? Challenge accepted.
Good thing I go off track for 4 weeks really soon. Finish the series in a week? Challenge accepted.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
My Newest Ginger Crush
Ok, I think it all started out with this ginger:
This summer, it was him:
(It was more for his music than his looks, okay?
Don't judge me.)
And now:
I will admit to saying at one point in my life that even if he cut his long nasty hair, he wouldn't be attractive. I stand corrected. I even just found out he plays guitar in a band. If only he'd won gold, it would be love for sure, but as it is now, I'll settle for a ginger crush.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
"It is a truth universally acknowledged..."
...that any Mormon girl my age should be married.
(I hope Jane Austen doesn't mind the liberties I took with that quote.)
Yes, I'm in one of those phases where I am deeply pondering marriage. You know, the stuff like where I thought my life would be by now, what has happened to bring me to where I am right now, the prospects I've had for marriage, the jealousy that I do have towards my married friends and acquaintances, the relief that I have that I am able to be selfishly single right now, etc. etc.
I try to think of the reasons why I'm not married: because I haven't met the right guy yet; because the Lord wants me to learn and experience more by myself; because I'm too busy pursuing my career to bother with marriage and family (ha--that's true, but not by choice); because for one reason or another I'm not ready; because I'm not desirable; because I'm damaged; because I'm not meant to get married; and so on and so forth. Some reasons are good ones, some not so much. Do I believe all of these reasons? No. Which ones do I really believe? I don't know. I still don't know any reasons why I've ever been rejected.
I could get a lot deeper and more personal right now, but I won't. Partly because of propriety, partly because I don't know how my thoughts and feelings would sound as written words.
However, I will say that I hate the juxtaposition of marriageable age between Mormon culture and most of the rest of the world. Part of me is starting to freak out because I'm turning 24 this year and I'm not married. But then another part of me is thinking that it's crazy that I should be freaking out because I am still so young and have no need to be in a hurry to get married. I wish that LDS culture was a little less obsessive about marriage. Yes, I definitely understand the importance of marriage and why it's such a worthy goal to achieve, but seriously, I hate that I've been brainwashed to progress situations in my head much faster than is realistic. Nobody should ever meet a cute boy and have one conversation and then start wondering if you're gonna get married. It's ridiculously annoying, but it's an automatic response. One that I fight very hard.
Another pet peeve. I have seen this several times. Someone gets engaged or married and people are posting their congrats on facebook walls, and a phrase pops up that really irks me: "Married life is so fun! You're going to love it!" Oh really? Well, I'm glad they know that now. I'm glad you've reinforced their decision to get married so now they know how great it's going to be. And yes, I'm avoiding marriage because I don't want a fun life that I'll love. I don't know why I get so worked up about that. It just annoys me. Another one of those things to add to my list of ignorant mormonisms. Because there are some of us who have obviously done something wrong to keep us from being eligible at this time for that blissful life of being married.
Something I will say though, is that it is kind of nice that everyone is starting to reach that state of panic about my relationship status. "Oh no! Stephanie's not married and she's not dating anyone, what can we do to help her?" And that means people are starting to at least consciously be on the look out of worthy young men to set me up with. I'm ok with that, because do you think I have had any time or energy to pursue dating as a first year teacher? Ain't nobody got time for that.
Nothing has quite happened yet, but there are prospects of set ups that I'm actually pretty excited about. I've definitely reached that point where I am feeling great about my life and all of my past woes are just that, in the past. I'm really ready to make the most of 2014.
On an unrelated note, I survived round two of parent/teacher conferences. So much better prepared this time. And still just as validating for me as last time. Feels great to have that over with, and I don't have to worry any more about principal evaluations either. Now it's just standardized testing to deal with. Which is probably one of the most stressful things ever. My kids are nowhere near as prepared for these tests as they should be, and it's not from a lack of me trying. Enough teacher complaints.
I'm off to watch another romantic movie while trying to do some lesson planning for this next week. Hopefully I'll have some great stories in the near future about my dating exploits, assuming all the people who have told me they're going to set me up with someone follow through. If I'm lucky, one of them will be a single man in possession of a good fortune, who is in fact in want of a wife.
(I hope Jane Austen doesn't mind the liberties I took with that quote.)
Yes, I'm in one of those phases where I am deeply pondering marriage. You know, the stuff like where I thought my life would be by now, what has happened to bring me to where I am right now, the prospects I've had for marriage, the jealousy that I do have towards my married friends and acquaintances, the relief that I have that I am able to be selfishly single right now, etc. etc.
I try to think of the reasons why I'm not married: because I haven't met the right guy yet; because the Lord wants me to learn and experience more by myself; because I'm too busy pursuing my career to bother with marriage and family (ha--that's true, but not by choice); because for one reason or another I'm not ready; because I'm not desirable; because I'm damaged; because I'm not meant to get married; and so on and so forth. Some reasons are good ones, some not so much. Do I believe all of these reasons? No. Which ones do I really believe? I don't know. I still don't know any reasons why I've ever been rejected.
I could get a lot deeper and more personal right now, but I won't. Partly because of propriety, partly because I don't know how my thoughts and feelings would sound as written words.
However, I will say that I hate the juxtaposition of marriageable age between Mormon culture and most of the rest of the world. Part of me is starting to freak out because I'm turning 24 this year and I'm not married. But then another part of me is thinking that it's crazy that I should be freaking out because I am still so young and have no need to be in a hurry to get married. I wish that LDS culture was a little less obsessive about marriage. Yes, I definitely understand the importance of marriage and why it's such a worthy goal to achieve, but seriously, I hate that I've been brainwashed to progress situations in my head much faster than is realistic. Nobody should ever meet a cute boy and have one conversation and then start wondering if you're gonna get married. It's ridiculously annoying, but it's an automatic response. One that I fight very hard.
Another pet peeve. I have seen this several times. Someone gets engaged or married and people are posting their congrats on facebook walls, and a phrase pops up that really irks me: "Married life is so fun! You're going to love it!" Oh really? Well, I'm glad they know that now. I'm glad you've reinforced their decision to get married so now they know how great it's going to be. And yes, I'm avoiding marriage because I don't want a fun life that I'll love. I don't know why I get so worked up about that. It just annoys me. Another one of those things to add to my list of ignorant mormonisms. Because there are some of us who have obviously done something wrong to keep us from being eligible at this time for that blissful life of being married.
Something I will say though, is that it is kind of nice that everyone is starting to reach that state of panic about my relationship status. "Oh no! Stephanie's not married and she's not dating anyone, what can we do to help her?" And that means people are starting to at least consciously be on the look out of worthy young men to set me up with. I'm ok with that, because do you think I have had any time or energy to pursue dating as a first year teacher? Ain't nobody got time for that.
Nothing has quite happened yet, but there are prospects of set ups that I'm actually pretty excited about. I've definitely reached that point where I am feeling great about my life and all of my past woes are just that, in the past. I'm really ready to make the most of 2014.
On an unrelated note, I survived round two of parent/teacher conferences. So much better prepared this time. And still just as validating for me as last time. Feels great to have that over with, and I don't have to worry any more about principal evaluations either. Now it's just standardized testing to deal with. Which is probably one of the most stressful things ever. My kids are nowhere near as prepared for these tests as they should be, and it's not from a lack of me trying. Enough teacher complaints.
I'm off to watch another romantic movie while trying to do some lesson planning for this next week. Hopefully I'll have some great stories in the near future about my dating exploits, assuming all the people who have told me they're going to set me up with someone follow through. If I'm lucky, one of them will be a single man in possession of a good fortune, who is in fact in want of a wife.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Early Morning Giggles
So here I am at school early, grading and getting stuff ready for today. I was grading a worksheet we did a few weeks ago about microbes where the kids had to read this eBook and just fill in the blanks. Question eight says, "Many microorganisms have _________________ relationships. Some are mutually beneficial, and some are damaging."
One of my students, obviously without searching for the answer in the text, said "intimate."
(The correct answer is symbiotic.)
Laughing so hard right now.
One of my students, obviously without searching for the answer in the text, said "intimate."
(The correct answer is symbiotic.)
Laughing so hard right now.
Monday, January 20, 2014
My Books of 2014
I am very surprised at my lack of writing in the past few weeks. I haven't been working hardly at all, and I've had several things on my mind that I wanted to share, but I can't say why it hasn't happened. Oh well.
Something I want to do this year is keep track of how many books I read. I was just trying to think about how many books I read this past year...and I'm not sure. It was probably at least twenty. But I want to really keep track this year, just out of curiosity. So I'm going to try to keep a running list here. We'll see if I remember to keep up with it. I've already read four books so far.
And let me gush for a moment about the first three on my list, the Divergent series. Flipping awesome books. Definitely on my new top favorite list, alongside Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. It's kind of Hunger Games-esque. Futuristic society and impending revolution. You know, the stuff that's all the rage these days in young adult literature. But here are some of the things that I think make these books phenomenal.
I could probably go on and on forever about these books, but I'll stop there. Phenomenal. Just to let you know though, I bawled my eyes out for the last THIRTY pages of the last book. So maybe you won't enjoy them as much as I did, but I deem any book that can make me cry a good book. Seriously, just thinking about it again is getting me so worked up! So without any further ado, here's my list:
Something I want to do this year is keep track of how many books I read. I was just trying to think about how many books I read this past year...and I'm not sure. It was probably at least twenty. But I want to really keep track this year, just out of curiosity. So I'm going to try to keep a running list here. We'll see if I remember to keep up with it. I've already read four books so far.
And let me gush for a moment about the first three on my list, the Divergent series. Flipping awesome books. Definitely on my new top favorite list, alongside Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. It's kind of Hunger Games-esque. Futuristic society and impending revolution. You know, the stuff that's all the rage these days in young adult literature. But here are some of the things that I think make these books phenomenal.
- The characters are very real. Veronica Roth develops the characters very well, and then they act accordingly through the entire series. Nothing random, out of the blue, why the heck did he do that? type of stuff that happens sometimes in books.
- The characters are pretty likable, unlike other leading protagonists in futuristic dystopian books.
- The love story in this trilogy is very real and very satisfying. And there is no love triangle! I mean, I like a good love triangle as much as the next guy, but I think they've been a little over done lately. Also, it wasn't a fairytale, magical relationship either. They fought. They disagreed. They lied to each other. And they tried to figure out if it was worth it to keep trying and how to best go about doing so.
- There were fantastic themes and morals throughout the books. They made me think about my own life and about forgiveness, sacrifice, and love.
I could probably go on and on forever about these books, but I'll stop there. Phenomenal. Just to let you know though, I bawled my eyes out for the last THIRTY pages of the last book. So maybe you won't enjoy them as much as I did, but I deem any book that can make me cry a good book. Seriously, just thinking about it again is getting me so worked up! So without any further ado, here's my list:
- Divergent
- Insurgent
- Allegiant
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck
- The Twits
- Tuck Everlasting
- Dragon's Gate
- Soldier X
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
- HP and the Chamber of Secrets
- HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- HP and the Goblet of Fire
- HP and the Order of the Phoenix
- HP and the Half-Blood Prince
- Becoming Naomi Leon
- HP and the Deathly Hallows
- Trapped in Death Cave
- Delirium
- The Book of Three
- The Black Cauldron
- The Castle of Llyr
- Taran Wanderer
- The High King
- Unenchanted
- The Mark of Athena
- The House of Hades
- The Blood of Olympus
- Hunger Games
- Catching Fire
- Mocking Jay
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
The Universe Has Spoken...
At dinner last night someone said, "Someone make a toast!" So I raised my glass and said, "To 2004." Nope, not a typo. We had a good laugh and reminisced about our lives a decade ago. I still have no idea why my brain and/or mouth didn't add the "teen" to the end of that year. Nor do I know why I'm telling you this. Let's cut to the chase.
Last night was the best New Year's Eve I've probably ever had. I won't expound because it was a long night filled with many different fun activities, but know this: 2014 is going to be great. I might be saying this because I've been watching way too much of How I Met Your Mother, but last night it seemed that "the Universe" was saying that things are just going to go well this year. Seriously, last night could not have gone more perfectly. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time for everything. So I'm going to be optimistic and take that as a sign that this year is going to be filled with being in the right place at the right time. Don't get me wrong, I know that I have a huge role to play in this year being awesome, but I'm determined to do my part. So 2014, bring it on.
Last night was the best New Year's Eve I've probably ever had. I won't expound because it was a long night filled with many different fun activities, but know this: 2014 is going to be great. I might be saying this because I've been watching way too much of How I Met Your Mother, but last night it seemed that "the Universe" was saying that things are just going to go well this year. Seriously, last night could not have gone more perfectly. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time for everything. So I'm going to be optimistic and take that as a sign that this year is going to be filled with being in the right place at the right time. Don't get me wrong, I know that I have a huge role to play in this year being awesome, but I'm determined to do my part. So 2014, bring it on.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
