Things I Have Learned My First Year Teaching

When I got hired at my school, I got to pick the grade level I wanted to teach. I thought picking third was totally safe! I was oh so wrong...

The school year is a fourth of that way done and this is what I have to show for it:

-Third graders still poo and pee their pants
-Third graders still eat their boogers
-Single dads of your students WILL ask you out!
-I can in fact yell quite loud
-Never leave your lunch in the faculty room fridge, it will be eaten by someone else (I still don't know who ate it!)
-Third graders will touch and play with your feet

I am sure that there is still much more for me to experience. And yes, I will start to wear a fake ring in front of all the single fathers of my students so I can avoid being on the ten-o-clock news.

I think I've had my fair share of field experience...

As many may know, I am completing my student teaching right now. I have been placed in a very diverse and low economic area. Aside from all the wonderful things I have to handle in the classroom, I got to handle my first emergency situation today.

We had just dropped our students off for lunch and were enjoying our faculty luncheon prepared by the office as a monthly appreciation for the teachers and staff. A staff member came storming into the faculty room and informed us that there had been a shooting at the high school just a few blocks away. We were told not to worry, we were NOT going on lock-down. Minutes later the Principal got on the intercom and informed us that the whole school needed to be on lock-down immediately!

I all but ran out of the room and outside to retrieve my students. As I got outside, I saw that there were several search helicopters flying low right over the school. There was however another HUGE problem. It was lunchtime, so half my students were outside, half were still somewhere in the building. I got all of the outside students into the building and directed them to get in their homeroom class immediately. The principal came over the intercom again and said to get into the nearest classroom and begin lock-down. I grabbed any nearby students to my room and hustled them inside. We then locked up all the doors, shut all the blinds, and covered the doors with paper to avoid anyone from looking in. My classroom happens to face somewhat of a busy street. That side of my classroom is also entirely windows. After rushing to get everything covered up and secured, I took my head count and learned I was missing 9 of my own students. (Thankfully they were on lock-down in the lunchroom!)

Now my responsibility was to keep the students in my current care safe and calm on top of being calm myself. I later learned that the two gunmen had run and gotten away. They were somewhere loose in the area-which automatically requires a lock-down.

After a few hours, the lock down was lifted and we were able to attempt to get back to our daily routines. The horrible news about the shooting is that a 16 year old boy was killed. My thoughts are to him and his family, may they be looked over and blessed during this tragedy.

Black Friday

I have to say, I love Black Friday and I think it should be declared a national holiday. You get to take part in all the amazing deals, see the crazy people this world holds, and have a legit excuse to be grouchy for the whole day because you didn't sleep the night before! I set my record this year by starting at 2AM... oh yeah, I was super grouchy at about 3PM when we thought we were going to call it quits for the day. However... all of my lovable family saw all of my awesome purchases and we ventured out again so they could take part in the awesomeness. I think next year I will take mom with me for the whole thing... I discovered I benefit even more with shes there with her debit card! I love you MOM!!!!

Me in the years 1952-2000

1996

Check me out! I did this on yearbookyourself.com

1998

1986

1984

1982

1978

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1968

1966

1964

1962

1960

1958

1952

Slanket

I was just informed about this awesome item. It’s called a “slanket”. It is a mix between a blanket and a sleeping bag. It is probably the best thing I have seen all day. Check it out http://www.theslanket.com/. Yes, I will be buying one for myself and probably for my mom too.

I've been tagged...5 things you may not know about me.

1. Most people probably don’t know that I talk in my sleep. I talk a lot! And apparently I can sound very normal. I always get a little nervous when sleeping around others because who knows what I will reveal during my slumber. (Most people also don’t know that I have woken up naked too.)

2. Most people probably don’t know that I cannot sleep without socks on. If my socks fall off in my sleep, I will wake up. I have had some restless nights due to this.

3. Most people probably don’t know that when I’m alone during dark hours I am very cautious. If I hear a noise or sense something unfamiliar, I go looking for it until I find what it is. I would rather know if there is a threat and what it is than sit around and be scared.

4. Most people probably don’t know that I trim my arm hair. My arms are pretty hairy for a female. I take a pair of scissors to them every so often to keep them looking feminine instead of like a hairy beast.

5. Most people probably don’t know that I am afraid of public bathrooms. If I try to use them, I have a hard time going. I don’t know why this is exactly. Even if I have to go really bad, I can’t go! I am paranoid about it being clean, or that im going to get a disease, or that something is living under the seat, or that someone has put a secret camera or something in them. I hear horror stories all the time about public bathrooms. They are out of my comfort zone.


I tag... I guess Kelly.

Close The Door!

I worked at the ol’ floral shop this week. When the boss is gone we all like to have a little fun. One of my co-workers had on a cute hat. So of course I tried it on and needed to see how I looked in it. I went to the bathroom to have a look, and what do I stumble upon?? Why Julie sitting on the potty texting!! I have never heard anyone shriek so loud before. Before closing the door and letting her return to her business, I was sure to inform her that locks were made for a reason. I’m guessing that she will learn how to use them real soon. After we all got over the excitement of me busting her on the pot, we decided that the only people that could possibly have this happen to them would be me… and Julie. Don’t worry Julie, I didn’t even do a double take! Lock the door if you don’t want company on the crapper.