Missing Bingham

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I miss it today.

I quit my job a year ago June.  When fall rolled around and school started everyone asked me if I missed it.  I was really surprised myself that the answer was "no".  Bingham had been a part of my life for five years.  That's longer than I was in high school, and as long as I was in college.  It was a huge chunk of my life and I just walked away.  I didn't understand why I didn't even have a inkling of desire to go back.

I guess when you're burnt out with hoops to jump through, and you miss your child in daycare like crazy, and you love your students but the love in your heart that used to all go to them now goes mostly to your daughter. . . it just wasn't the same as it used to be.

But this year, I have missed it.  Which I did not see coming. 

I was perplexed.  And then I realized.  It's been long enough that I've forgotten the worst parts.  Like so many other things in life, we remember the good and try to forget the bad.  I've done just that.  I remember filling out my little weekly schedule.  MAN, that was my favorite thing to do.  In just 15-20 minutes I would have my whole week planned.  Sure, I still had to write the lessons, but at least I knew what topics I had to cover.  Throw an assembly in there?  It was like trying to do a puzzle, covering all my info with shorter periods to stuff it in to.

Also, talking to my cousin Cait who is starting her first year teaching.  She's overwhelmed, like we all are our first year of teaching (I would not go back to that year, but thank goodness I had no children then.  It was hard enough) and as I gave her advice I just had this longing to get in there and do it myself.  Not that Cait wont be wonderful!  (Cait, you're doing great I'm sure!!)  But I've put in that time as a newbie and now the fear is gone.  I could teach a class I knew nothing about, but I'm so dang comfortable in front of a class of teenagers that I could stay cool as a cucumber.  Nothing can phase me (okay dad, except for your class, I know you would throw that in if you and I were talking).

I used to get upset when Adam would suggest that maybe, maybe, I would like to go back to teaching when our kids were older.  Now that I've forgotten the bad stuff, maybe he's right.

Never tell me that the Miners is a dumb mascot.  Someone did once.  It did not end well.

The Parable of the Jello Jigglers

Even though I didn't notice it, a lot of my identity formed at a young age.  I've loved sewing since I was 6 or 7, always wanted to be an interior designer and I loved cooking dinner for my family even in elementary school.

One year for Christmas I got my first cookbook and my first set of measuring cups!

A treat I liked making was Jello Jigglers.  It was super concentrated Jello so that it would hold it's shape when cut with cookie cutters and the like. 

One day I asked my mom if I could make jigglers.  She agreed after making me (and my brother too maybe?) promise to clean the kitchen before I began.  I worked hard, cleaned the kitchen so clean that not a crumb could be found.  Then we carefully boiled the water, measured, stirred the entire five minutes until my arm felt it was going to fall off, poured into the molds and waited.  Jigglers take like ten hours to set up.  But our patience paid off and they turned out great! 

A few weeks later, remembering that fun experience, I asked my mom again if I could make them.  She reluctantly agreed, but no promise to clean the kitchen was made.  This was great!  All of the fun, none of the work!  I measured, stirred and poured, and ten hours later I had grainy blobs that tasted okay, but they just weren't as good.  What happened? 

I honestly will never forget that.  By working for something first and earning it I put forth my best efforts and carefully crafted my jigglers.  The second time I took it all for granted and slopped together a mess.  The lesson was clear: Hard work pays off. 

What taught you to be a hard worker?

I used to teach. . .

Often in conversation I throw out the phrase, "I used to teach. . . " followed by something you probably had no idea I used to teach.  I pretty much majored in like ten things.  It's very much a "Jack of all trades, master of none" kind of major.  I took classes in cooking, sewing, interior design, finance, child development, fashion and religion (not part of my major, just part of being at BYU.)

People usually look at me like I'm lying.  Now you're telling me you taught fashion?  I thought you said interior design?  And last week it was sewing!

So here is a comprehensive list of every high school class I ever taught.  I'm not a liar, but I was a very busy teacher.

Interior Design.  This was my main focus, what I spent most of my time on at Bingham. I taught 4-6 Interior Design I classes each year and one or two year long Interior Design II/Advanced Interior Design classes each year.

Student Project.  She got an A.

Fashion.  I kept this to myself during the 30x30 challenge.  I don't need that kind of pressure.  During my five years at Bingham I taught this class ten times and put on three fashion shows.

We did A LOT of sketching in this class.

Sewing.  This is my weakest subject as a teacher.  I'm pretty good at sewing, but organizing 30 students and their projects made me run around like a chicken with my head cut off.  I only taught this class four times.  Twice my first year, twice my last year.  (It was way better my last year!)

One of my favorite sewing students presenting me with a made up award.  So dang funny.

Child Development.  I only taught this class twice and it was my first year so I pretty much copied the lesson plans word for word from the teacher that taught the bulk of the Child Development classes.  But this class did give me opportunities to tell lots of stories (I love telling stories!)

Pro-Start: This is the restaurant level cooking class.  I taught it twice my third year of teaching and I told them if they ever made me teach it again they could start looking for my replacement.  I hated that class. (most of the students were okay, but the few egotistical wanna be chefs were enough to push me over the edge)

My competition team.

Adult Roles: This class basically teaches everything high schoolers need to know about being a grown up.  The 7 units include: Self Concept, Communication, Dating (sex education), Marriage, Parenting, Family Life, Finance (I hated finance as much as the students.  We all suffered together!)

Three of my Adult Roles Students taking their robot babies home for the weekend during the parenting unit. 

Whew!  Kind a fun to have that all written out!  What was your favorite subject in high school?

Time Travel

 This is my middle school, for reals.

Today I was driving to work, minding my own business, when WHAM!  I time traveled back to 7th grade.  I was sitting on the bus with my friend Laine and we were sitting backwards in our seats eating gummy worms so the bus driver couldn't see us! 

Just kidding.  Sort of.

Really it was just TLC Waterfalls on the radio.  But nothing can take you back to a certain place or time like music can.  What songs bring you back?