i-Read! u-Read! Reading's Fun When You Have Technology!

Hi Internet!

Only 17 more days of school!!! Wahoo! It's hard to believe I survived my first year teaching! I've also been offered a contract for next year, and I think I'm going to take it. :) It's been a huge learning experience and a lot of fun. I'll tell you more about my adventures in a later post, but now I need your help.

In an effort to help my students learn as much as possible, I am looking to add a program where students are able to read and record themselves reading using iPads! I mean reading is fun, but adding an iPad just makes it FANTASTIC! I've created a request for my classroom at DonorsChoose.org.

For the next 6 days, DonorsChoose will match ANY donation made to my class. If you have the time and the funds, we would really appreciate a donation. (Or your word of mouth advertising! :) )  Even $1 will help (because really it will be $2 when DonorsChoose matches it). Please do not feel obligated to donate. 

Thanks So much!!
P.S. If you know anyone who may want to help my classroom, please pass this along!

IMPORTANT: If you decide to donate within the next seven days, enter the code 100WOMEN. DonorsChoose will only match dollar for dollar if the code 100WOMEN is entered.

If you chip in to help my students, you'll get awesome photos and our heartfelt thanks.

I Might Not Be Cut Out for This...

Hi Internet,

So, I was talking to a friend last week and came to the realization... I probably picked the worst career for myself. Allow me to explain:

- Occupational hazards such as lice and whooping cough. (True life, they have those across the hall, I've threatened my kids with their lived if they share hats or don't wash their hands with soap.)

- Working 70 hours a week.

- Crying every day about the difficult challenges my 5 and 6 year old students are facing.

-Wanting to take my kids home at the end of the day because I know their lives are rough.

My conversation with my friend went a bit like this:

Me: I'm going to need to get married sooner rather than later, cause I am so not cut out for working full-time and I kinda want to take all my kids home everyday.

Friend: laughs

Me: No. Serious.

Friend: Yeah, but that's what makes you so great at it, because you care.

Blah, blah. That' doesn't change that I can't look at one of my kids without tearing up. And this whole waking up early is totes cramping my style.

But, there are a few perks to my job.

-Getting a billion school pictures of myself as a grown lady... (weird)

-Being surrounded by kids who think knock knock jokes are HILARIOUS.

-Introducing my kids to 90's treasures such as "Reading Rainbow" and Cassette Tapes

-My kids will dance on command.

-I get called Mom daily and then get to reassure their horrified looks that it's ok.

-The girls who tell me they love me every morning when I call attendance.

-Hearing my kids (upon realizing I'm losing my patience with the class) say "Don't make her turn into Viola Swamp!"

 -The things my Russian kids say, like when I ask if any of them have seen anyone get hurt on the playground:

Russian Student (With THICK Russian Accent):  Yes. Thees one time I'm playing soccer and he keek thee Bol, he's keeking, he keek me in the bols!" (Points at his crotch) 

Russian Student's Cousin: Yes. Keek him in the bols! (Points at his crotch) 

Me: Uh, I'm sorry. I bet that hurt.

Russian Student: KEEK ME IN THE BOLS! (Still pointing)

-Trying not to laugh when every class discussion makes me feel like I'm in one of these commercials: 

Seriously, in math we had to talk about quantities  that are more and less. And the class discussion was almost like this verbatim.

I love my kids. Maybe too  much. I do love my job. But it's a lot more emotionally involved than I had imagined.

I'm a teacher!!

Hi Internet!

Frazzled teacher here! Here are the highlights:

-Last minute got switched from a Kindergarten teacher to a Kindergarten AND 1st grade teacher.
-Went from 9 kids to 16 students, over night!
-District Superintendent came to visit my room on day 1
- Had a student fracture his growth plate in his ankle on day 2
- Have 2 students who speak Russian as their primary language and don't speak much English

But my classroom is pretty awesome!

Oh, the joys of being a 1st year teacher!

So, here's where you come in. There's this cool website called DonorsChoose Oprah and Bill Gates are all about this mess.

Anyhow. I wrote a proposal to get some supplies for my students.

I'm asking for donations of any size to help my kids. For the next week, any donation you make to my project will be doubled (up to $100). If you know anyone who is passionate about education, cute kids, helping nice people (like me!) please pass this along. Your donation will brighten my students' school year, and help me a TON!

Here's my classroom request:
iRead!Promoting Beginning Literacy with Technology!

To have your donation matched dollar for dollar, enter the match code INSPIRE on the payment screen. This awesome match offer lasts through September 2, 2013.

My students and I greatly appreciate your support.

Spread the word!!

Thanks!

Might As Well Post as I Procrastinate Packing

Hi Internet,

I didn't forget about you. Summer happened. Life happened. So, here's what's up.

May: Finished school. Got my Bad A job and left for my graduation tour.
Spent a week in DC with my cousin Danielle and her adorable family:

Highlights: loving on 2 week old Lainey, playing "LADY" with Elsie, reading Magic Tree House with Liam, making yummy foods, a first trip to Trader Joe's, Searching for a cadet in Annapolis, visiting all the cool shops in Georgetown, DC Cupcakes- NO LINE to wait in! Staying up late catching up with my frousin (Friend+Cousin)

June:
2 weeks in Utah with NO agenda!

Highlights: Planning with Amy about how we're both going to spend our money now that we both have real teacher jobs, Music and the Spoken Word, Watching TV with Julia Janice Marlin, kisses from baby Jesse, Getting blacklisted at Aqua Aerobics, NOT working up a sweat at Aqua Zumba, Day Road trips, Olive Garden Lunches, Visiting BYU-I*, Craigo's and impressing the hostess that we came back after 7 years for a mini reunion to Rexburg- she was so touched she gave us a free jumbo "Cookie Monster- YUM!", staying up late with Julia and Spencie trying to solve all of the worlds problems.

MORE Highlights: Impromptu Roommate reunion with Bre, Merika and Pam (Amy and Lester were missed terribly), Bre's awesome salads, Alton's great idea, Pam's boy problems, Merika's Vegas stories, IKEA, Farr's Ice Cream with Merika, Brazilian grills, Cheesecake Factory, buying things for my classroom, session in the SLC temple with Hoppes, staying up late reminiscing about 11 years ago when we were young and funny in college.

Then... I had to come home.

Highlights: Watching Levi's soccer games, water fights with Ju-Ju, finding bargains at yard sales for my new crib and classroom, play date with Hannah at the Library, lounging by the pool with Ju-Ju, Organizing my classroom library, avoiding packing, watching DVD's about the Daily 5, family dinners, taking a BBQ class, walking the Midnight Sun Run, stressing/getting excited to move and start my real job!

So, this summer has been pretty full, and really great, I hate to see it end, but I really can't WAIT to meet my kindies! I've been planning and prepping and I'm going in a week to visit Sterling and hopefully see my classroom and begin decorating! Ahhh!

Well, I'm off to bed. If you feel inclined to come pack a box or two for me, by all means come on over! :)

EMPLOYED!!

Internet!

I have fabulous news! I got a job! Not just A job, but a GREAT job!

So, yesterday morning I had 3 interviews:

10:00am- Barrow phone interview

10:45am- Sterling Elementary

11:30am- Bethel

All the interviews went really well! I was told I would hear back after the weekend, probably on Wednesday.

Well, around 2pm my phone started to ring.... I had job offers!!!

I decided to take a kindergarten position on the Kenai Peninsula. I'm so EXCITED!

I'll have about 17 students in a full-day kindergarten class!

In the words of my friend I "landed my dream job!"

I can't wait!

A Lot of People Go to College for 11 Years...

Well Internet,

After 3 schools and 11 years I FINALLY made it! Graduation was on Mother's day. It was long, it was hot, the fire alarm went off twice, but I graduated!

 I don't often tell people about my educational journey. But I figure since I finished, maybe someone could learn from my experience. I attended BYU-Idaho right after I graduated high school. Life at home was stressful as my mom had just been diagnosed with cancer. I am so grateful for my time in Rexburg. I know I was supposed to be there. I still have some of my best friends who I met during that time. In my 3 years in Rexburg, perhaps the greatest lesson I learned was how to have fun and enjoy life. I may or may not have slept through my bowling class for 4 semesters in a row.... I also didn't really have an advisor, and I didn't have a clear plan of what classes I should take. Then, I met that boy, he broke me heart and I got really depressed. I wore my giving up on life pants, and when combined with my past years of play, I was put on academic suspension. I left Rexburg, and a piece of my heart.

I am grateful that I was able to come home and re-group. It wasn't until later that I really addressed my issues with depression, but it helped put me on a path where I could move forward. I then moved to Utah and decided I would try school again. It was frustrating because most of my credits didn't transfer, and I still didn't have an advisor. I was again overwhelmed and quit going to school. After this setback I convinced myself that I wasn't good at school, I'm a 2 time college drop out and obviously I wasn't cut out for higher education.

I then got my job with Alyeska, which was again a great experience, but I wasn't doing what I loved, what I knew I should be doing. I knew I needed to be a teacher. But that meant facing my fears and inadequacies, I had to go back to school. My job with Alyeska ended and I went to care for my grandmother and I remember so many people encouraging me to go back to school. I kept thinking "Yeah, but I'll never make it. I fail every time I try."

August 2010. I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to go back to school. I went to UAF, registered for classes starting the next week and found out who the Elementary Education Advisor was. I am so thankful for my advisor. She looked at my transcripts and made me a plan. It wasn't going to be easy, it was going to take 3 years, in addition to the 3 years of credits I already had, but I could do it.

I poured my heart and soul into school, because this time I knew this was what I wanted and needed to be doing.

It wasn't easy. At least once a semester I had a full-on meltdown, tears, "I can't do this," the works.

But I did it! (And with a 3.8 GPA might I add.)

My cousin threw me a fabulous graduation party, with a Wizard of Oz theme, which is special for me because when I was little I was obsessed with the movie.

 But there was a quote from the movie that she posted on the mantel that really hit me.

The quote made me realize that my family knew I could be successful in school. I didn't have to let my past experiences define me because I had the power and ability to get my degree, I just had to realize it.

I couldn't have done it on my own, but I am thankful for the support of my friends and family for getting me to this point!

Now on to the job hunt.....

No News

Internet! 9 days!!!


NINE DAYS UNTIL GRADUATION!!! All that stands between me and that funky black robe and hat is a presentation and a reflection paper. AHHHHH! It has taken me 11 years, but I'm so close I can almost taste it!

Still no job prospects. :( I'm a little sad about that. I keep applying, so pray, cross your fingers etc. that I will find a job.

I keep thinking about getting a summer job... but then I don't want to.... And then my mom says that my idea of a "summer of self-exploration" isn't gonna fly. Party pooper!

AND, because blog posts without pictures are boring...

Here is a picture of my classroom, and the leaky roof. Apparently there isn't money to fix this, but ceiling tiles are rotting and falling. Nice.