"All things good to know are difficult to learn."

Welp, it's Friday and I just wrapped up my first week of student teaching. I have been in the classroom for over a week getting supplies and such ready for the kids. They showed up on Tuesday ready to learn and have a lot of fun. It has been amazing seeing how my new host teacher works. I think that loosing my old host teacher was a blessing in disguise. My last host teacher was very nice but she had only taught for four years. Sitting in on her class, I saw a lot that I could help with and a lot that I could learn from too. My new host teacher has nearly no room for improvement. There is nothing that I can pair with her to figure out or work on. For example... better classroom management, as my previous teacher needed help with. This new teacher had the class following every direction perfectly on the first day. There is SO SO SO much that I am already learning from her. She doesn't hold back when it comes to feedback. She tells me what I can work on and where I am doing well. She is constantly using everything she does throughout the day as a teaching tool towards me. And it's working well.
The last few days I have been leading the class in fun activities and games. This was her first "test" for me and how the class responds to my directions. To my surprise, they listened very well. There were only a few boys testing my limits, but overall, it went very well.
After every class we sit and talk about what went well and the plans for the next day. Today we met with my advisor to talk about the entire year. It was very overwhelming. The amount of information covered was intense. I'm still not sure I understand everything that is required of me but my host teacher assures me that we'll get through this.
Sooo today.....After my great day at school, my roommate, Emily, and I visited the new pool. I did laps in the lap pool and walked circles against the current in the current river thing. ( I have no idea what it's called.) We have decided that we are going to try and go to the pool twice a week for our leg workout, twice a week on the rock wall, and once a week doing something different. We will do all this after school as a way of winding down because we usually have a lot to talk about since we are both teaching in 5th/4th grade rooms.
Overall, my favorite part about the 4th/5th grade age is that they are starting to develope complex senses of humor. Some of the things these kids say is too funny. Today, one kid was running around the room at the end of the day with markers linked end to end. He was yelling that he was a Jedi and his markers were his "life saver" instead of Light Saber. It was too funny! Sometimes when they get in trouble, I have to bite my my tongue because I want to laugh so badly at some of the stuff that comes out of their mouths. Usually, the teacher will come over and laugh about it later. I have to learn to do that.
Obviously, I am enjoying myself right now. I know that things will get tough once my classes start in a week and a half and that I will get stressed out about lesson plans and units in the near future. Right now I am just enjoying the moment and the happiness.
Tomorrow, I am excited to be back at Era for the weekend. I miss the place and people when I'm away. I work with some very special people! This week has been exhausting though, which makes me nervous for the twelve hour day ahead. So, I should probably get to bed sometime soon. I have to be up at 5:30 AM. That will come early!

Have a good weekend everyone!

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you'll never see the shadows."

This week back in Missouri has been crazy, busy, fun and exhausting all at the same time. Kinsey has been keeping me busy with her funny sayings and personality. She is always saying something out of character and way too grown up. It's been fun.
This week we have done so much. My visit started with dinner immediately when I arrived. It was great to see the entire family at one huge table.
We had a small family reunion at Aunt Tammie's house and a little swim. This was the first time I got to see Kinsey swim without floaties. She puts her head under the water and swims everywhere. It's adorable and kind of funny too. When we arrived we saw that there was a blow up slide. Kinsey told me that when I grow smaller I can slide down it. (If only it worked that way.)

We have been swimming, shopping, eating, playing at playgrounds and with friends, and soo much more.It amazes me how much everything changes in the short amount of time I am gone. The town square looks different, the kids look different, everyone's lives are different. Half the people I graduated with are married and/or have kids. Part of me loves it and is and always anxious to see how different life is when I return. Part of me wishes everything stayed the same here so I know what to expect, but that is selfish thinking.
The one thing that has never changed is the weather. It's always stormy when I come back for a visit. This visit didn't let me down. The original forecast was that 6/10 days I'm in town it would storm. There have been a few good ones.

From here until Monday, the time will fly because I will be busy. Tomorrow I'm having lunch with my brothers fiance, Linzy. Then I'm going swimming (if it's not storming) with Brooke and Kinsey's friend Lilly. Tomorrow evening I'm staying at my brothers house. Saturday is their engagement party, which will be like another family reunion. Sunday is church and lunch at great grandma's house. At 2 I'm heading to the Farris Theater to see the last Harry Potter film with Sarah. Then Monday morning, bright and early, I fly out.

This ten days has flown by fast, as it usually does. Seeing my family has been rejuvenating and I'm happy that I was able to come home right before school gets stressful again. If my heart had a mouth, it would be smiling! :-)

“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain; but few are willing to make the climb.”

August is here and I can't believe how fast this summer has flown by. I know I say that every post but really...Time is passing so quickly.
I have had some ups and downs over the last week or so. At the end of last year I was placed with a great host teacher for my student teaching. A week ago, she emailed me and my student teaching supervisor to inform us that she would no longer be teaching this upcoming year. Her mother has come down with some serious health issues. So I am back at square one. I am trying to be hopeful. I know that this could turn out bad but I think that I will be placed with another teacher. Maybe a teacher that I can even learn more from. I'm trying to stay positive. I'm not sure of what the worse case scenario is but I'm trying not to think about it.

Then this past week I got some great news! I was awarded a scholarship for next year. I also will be getting a grant. Overall, its about $8,000 total off my schooling. That makes my life quite a bit easier. I have to remind myself to think about now and celebrate the moment that I am living in. Sometimes I get to focused on the big picture and life passes by too quickly. Another thing that makes my life easier is that I have finished all the reading for my literature class and turned in my final research paper. The only thing I have left to do is attend two more classes and build a bulletin board display of books for young kids. That's it! Then I'm finished with the class and can move on to student teaching. Exciting.

Unfortunately, I will be finishing this class up while on my mini vacation in Missouri. I'm okay with that because then I can pick Piper's brain for ideas about the book display and maybe even get some help putting it together.
It's hard for me to get excited about heading back because I still have so much to do. However, I have started packing already and getting things ready to leave.
Friday morning I fly out early. I get into KC at 6:30 pm. It's going to be a long day traveling and fly is always so exhausting. But once I get into town I think I will be excited to be back.
It has literally been twice as hot in KC as it is here. It has only been in the 50s here while Missouri has been well over 100 degrees. Our stores are just putting their shorts and tank tops on sale which was great timing for me. I was able to pic up several outfits for the trip back home. I don't have much use for shorts here most of the time. I am required to work in pants at Era. So I have very few summer outfits but just enough to get me through my ten day vacation.
Next up: Several several bottles of sunscreen and a swimming suit. I'm hoping to come back with a nice tan, not fried!

Happy Monday!