Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Teaching Update
I worked all last week, but I only had students for two days. It was a pretty long two days, but it went really well. The good news? The weekend seemed really long as well, so it all evened out.
This post is poorly organized, but I'm just jotting down some thoughts....so here goes!
In relation to school, I'm quickly getting used to teaching 9th and 10th vs. 10th, 11th, and 12th. The students are not as close in age, which is a good thing, and the material is actually enjoyable. The curriculum works hand-in-hand, at least in the beginning, so that helps. I only have two preps! This means my life is a bit more sane now. I still, however, have a new curriculum and therefore new lesson planning to do this year. In another few years, I'll probably have it all together?
Although I have new grades, it doesn't keep my students from last year from stopping by. On open house night, I had at least seven girls and guys stop by to say hello - maybe of who were seniors, so they didn't even have to be at the school! It was really special to me to see all of them again. This is the first year I've seen growth (seniors graduated, eleventh are now seniors), and it's a weird feeling. I already miss them.
Another student, who was an eleventh grader last year, brought his whole family to come meet me. His mother was jokingly concerned, knowing what a character he is, but I assured her of how appreciative I was of him in my class each day. He kept me laughing. I felt like I somehow made a difference, just by caring about this student.
I also have a number of students who stop by during the regular school day to see me. It makes the job seem worth while... it's like I'm actually making a difference in some way. The hardest part now is that I'm getting to see kids grow in a couple of years, and when they graduate this year, I'm really going to be sad! - and happy - all at the same time. They're like my kids now. They don't know how much they mean to me sometimes.
Being at a school longer than one year, and knowing that I might be there for years to come, has made me a more positive person overall. I realize that this is my job. The better I get at it now, the better I'll be in the long run. The happier I am about teaching English, the more the kids will appreciate it and learn. Let's just say that I'm trying to be more positive about work this year. I freaked out for a few days because all of my classes are 27 or 28 students. Turns out, it's really not so bad.
The only thing that makes it difficult is when I get anxious about teaching.. and when I get anxious, it makes me dread the next day. Turns out, getting worried never helps, and I always pull through, no matter what. So why worry? I've tried to put my energy into positive lesson-planning. It helps make the day seem more fun overall.
Justin started a new job at a new school this year, and he seems to be really positive so far. He has three geometry year-long classes. That's it! There are pros and cons in his situation. It's great because he only has ONE prep, which is a dream. It's also good because he gets to know the students all year... which means he could really connect with some of them. The bad side to this is that if he has any poorly behaved students (so far, he's okay!), he's "stuck" with them all year. So far, so good, though, so wish him luck! I'm really proud of him. His school is great for socializing. There's a huge amount of brand new teachers.
All in all, the year is off to a good start. I know there will be ups and downs, and I'll be stressed soon enough - mostly with grades - but I'm happy to share the positive feelings I have now! Hope you fellow teachers are off to a good start. It's going to be another year!
This post is poorly organized, but I'm just jotting down some thoughts....so here goes!
In relation to school, I'm quickly getting used to teaching 9th and 10th vs. 10th, 11th, and 12th. The students are not as close in age, which is a good thing, and the material is actually enjoyable. The curriculum works hand-in-hand, at least in the beginning, so that helps. I only have two preps! This means my life is a bit more sane now. I still, however, have a new curriculum and therefore new lesson planning to do this year. In another few years, I'll probably have it all together?
Although I have new grades, it doesn't keep my students from last year from stopping by. On open house night, I had at least seven girls and guys stop by to say hello - maybe of who were seniors, so they didn't even have to be at the school! It was really special to me to see all of them again. This is the first year I've seen growth (seniors graduated, eleventh are now seniors), and it's a weird feeling. I already miss them.
Another student, who was an eleventh grader last year, brought his whole family to come meet me. His mother was jokingly concerned, knowing what a character he is, but I assured her of how appreciative I was of him in my class each day. He kept me laughing. I felt like I somehow made a difference, just by caring about this student.
I also have a number of students who stop by during the regular school day to see me. It makes the job seem worth while... it's like I'm actually making a difference in some way. The hardest part now is that I'm getting to see kids grow in a couple of years, and when they graduate this year, I'm really going to be sad! - and happy - all at the same time. They're like my kids now. They don't know how much they mean to me sometimes.
Being at a school longer than one year, and knowing that I might be there for years to come, has made me a more positive person overall. I realize that this is my job. The better I get at it now, the better I'll be in the long run. The happier I am about teaching English, the more the kids will appreciate it and learn. Let's just say that I'm trying to be more positive about work this year. I freaked out for a few days because all of my classes are 27 or 28 students. Turns out, it's really not so bad.
The only thing that makes it difficult is when I get anxious about teaching.. and when I get anxious, it makes me dread the next day. Turns out, getting worried never helps, and I always pull through, no matter what. So why worry? I've tried to put my energy into positive lesson-planning. It helps make the day seem more fun overall.
Justin started a new job at a new school this year, and he seems to be really positive so far. He has three geometry year-long classes. That's it! There are pros and cons in his situation. It's great because he only has ONE prep, which is a dream. It's also good because he gets to know the students all year... which means he could really connect with some of them. The bad side to this is that if he has any poorly behaved students (so far, he's okay!), he's "stuck" with them all year. So far, so good, though, so wish him luck! I'm really proud of him. His school is great for socializing. There's a huge amount of brand new teachers.
All in all, the year is off to a good start. I know there will be ups and downs, and I'll be stressed soon enough - mostly with grades - but I'm happy to share the positive feelings I have now! Hope you fellow teachers are off to a good start. It's going to be another year!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Sweet puppy, Bailey
Today I got to visit with my sister-in-law and her new puppy, Bailey. Bailey was such a sweetheart, and she was so playful. I took a couple of pictures in hopes to capture her fun, young spirit. The motion shots didn't turn out like I had hoped.. most were blurry because I was either too close to her (my lens is a bit short), or she was just moving too much. I could have put it on continuous shooting mode, but usually I prefer to control the shutter myself. Enjoy these few shots from a beautiful cloudy morning!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Puppy Photos
I recently took a couple of pictures for family friends of their new puppy. Isn't she a sweetheart!?
This is so random, but J and I just saw an ADHD commercial. It was very positive.. until it listed the side-effects.
Justin reworded it by saying:
"Do you have ADHD? You can friggin' (choice word replaced) drop dead!"
You had to be there, but it cracked me up. It's great to share life with a witty man.
In other news, two days until school for me, and J starts tomorrow. Not much has been going on here except work, lesson planning, and trying to relax in the evenings with the open windows--which are amazing by the way. Last weekend, we did go to a wedding (at our wedding site, actually), which was really nice. We got to see a lot of old friends we used to work with. The whole day was nostalgic because our table was filled with people that knew J and I separately before we met. They watched us grow into our friendship and relationship. They're really meaningful to both of us, and they'll always be sitting in our hearts -- so sappy -- I just can't help myself!
Lastly, I am teaching 9th and 10th grade this year, and I had over 50 students show up with his or her family for open-house night. It was an all day event with no breaks. I have a good feeling about many of the students. I'll have to let you know how 9th graders are, though... it's going to be a huge change. With that said...
Enjoy your last summer days. Enjoy the moon. Enjoy the crisp night air.
Justin reworded it by saying:
"Do you have ADHD? You can friggin' (choice word replaced) drop dead!"
You had to be there, but it cracked me up. It's great to share life with a witty man.
_ _ _
In other news, two days until school for me, and J starts tomorrow. Not much has been going on here except work, lesson planning, and trying to relax in the evenings with the open windows--which are amazing by the way. Last weekend, we did go to a wedding (at our wedding site, actually), which was really nice. We got to see a lot of old friends we used to work with. The whole day was nostalgic because our table was filled with people that knew J and I separately before we met. They watched us grow into our friendship and relationship. They're really meaningful to both of us, and they'll always be sitting in our hearts -- so sappy -- I just can't help myself!
Lastly, I am teaching 9th and 10th grade this year, and I had over 50 students show up with his or her family for open-house night. It was an all day event with no breaks. I have a good feeling about many of the students. I'll have to let you know how 9th graders are, though... it's going to be a huge change. With that said...
Enjoy your last summer days. Enjoy the moon. Enjoy the crisp night air.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
The end of summer is near...
Luckily, mom and I made the good decision of going to visit family, even though J started work and couldn't make it. I drove the eleven hours, and we got to see our beautiful, amazing, hilarious family for five days -- not even close to the amount of time I would like with them, but we take what we can get!
Before the trip, I was teaching summer school for four weeks, and it went pretty well. The middle school kids were much more work than high school, but it was well worth it. I ended up having a good time with the kids, and I made a little extra money for the summer. I'm already trying to tell myself not to do it next year, though, because J and I want to take some trips. What's funny is that in order to take trips, working summer school seems to make sense, but I also have to think about how much time it takes from my free summer.
Back to the trip - I could write a huge post about what we did, but posting some photos will explain enough. It was a beautiful trip, and it was really hard to leave. It was mostly a trip for us girls, so we had some fun and took a couple of day trips. Some of my favorite aspects about this trip: breakfast at DD's, coffee at Gmas, Canada, Lake Placid (awesome & beautiful - going back next year for sure), shopping spree for Gma, late-night chats at DD's, watching the olympics every single day -- oh, and I can't forget about breaking my key in the ignition on the way home. It was a great trip, filled with excitement, relaxation, and pure joy.
Before the trip, I was teaching summer school for four weeks, and it went pretty well. The middle school kids were much more work than high school, but it was well worth it. I ended up having a good time with the kids, and I made a little extra money for the summer. I'm already trying to tell myself not to do it next year, though, because J and I want to take some trips. What's funny is that in order to take trips, working summer school seems to make sense, but I also have to think about how much time it takes from my free summer.
Back to the trip - I could write a huge post about what we did, but posting some photos will explain enough. It was a beautiful trip, and it was really hard to leave. It was mostly a trip for us girls, so we had some fun and took a couple of day trips. Some of my favorite aspects about this trip: breakfast at DD's, coffee at Gmas, Canada, Lake Placid (awesome & beautiful - going back next year for sure), shopping spree for Gma, late-night chats at DD's, watching the olympics every single day -- oh, and I can't forget about breaking my key in the ignition on the way home. It was a great trip, filled with excitement, relaxation, and pure joy.
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