Life Update!

So I've been a pretty busy bee lately. I finished up my internship (so sad!), I organized EOC tutoring for the high school I interned at, I graduated, and now I am back at school tutoring and currently seeking employment in several different forms.

The end of my internship was so bittersweet. I was ready to be done with school, but I was in no way prepared to leave my students. My last day at the internship, my clinical teacher threw me little parties in each of my classes and I was able to spend some time with my students. She asked each class to discuss memorable lessons or moments in class. Of course, several students mentioned times when I disciplined them, but they all were surprisingly mature about it. I was able to hold it together on my last day, but I think the only real reason that this happened was because I knew I would be coming back for three weeks to tutor for the EOC.

The last few days of my internship I spent organizing the EOC tutoring. It was a LOT of work, and a LOT of frustration, but I was really glad that I did it. Even though a lot of my work ended up being in vain because of unforeseeable factors, I took it in stride and all is well! Now I am tutoring students who need a little extra help to pass the EOC and have actually really enjoyed it and gotten some pretty positive feedback from the students who are in my tutoring groups.

I graduated on Friday!!! Even though I still have two summer classes to take, it still felt like a pretty significant milestone for my Master's Degree. I was actually very disappointed in the actual ceremony, despite my exhilaration in being DONE for the semester and at the GRADUATION point. I was miserable throughout the ceremony. First, they crammed the graduates (about 500 of them) in this teeny tiny hallway to line up. Then, the ceremony was in the basketball arena and all of the family was up in the second tier with no way to get close and take any good pictures. Third, I couldnt hear practically ANYTHING that was said during the ceremony. And finally, the ceremony was so impersonal. They herded us across the stage like a bunch of cattle so we didnt really get our moment on the stage. It was so impersonal and I was not a fan.

Finally, I am searching for employment in all forms. I am tutoring for the school right now, which is paying nicely, but I also need a summer AND a big girl job. I may have landed a waitstaff position at a little Italian restaurant in New Bern, but I havent started so I dont want to count it official. However, I still have the looming question of where will I be employed next fall that still needs to be answered.

As you can see, life is busy, but it is also oh so good. Until next time!

Hello again blogging world!

I'm baaaack!

I have been super busy lately but things are about to calm down for awhile! For the last month I have been doing full-time student teaching and working on my final portfolio for grad school. Full time teaching ended on Monday and the portfolio was submitted tonight (due on Monday). For once in my life I can say that I didnt COMPLETELY procrastinate on something huge and submitted it before the last possible moment. Go me!

Full time teaching went well, but I am glad its over. I know that full-time teaching is what I will be doing for the rest of my life, but I wont be dealing with grad school at the same time. I did have some struggles with the classes that I picked up from my clinical teacher, but I anticipated that because she has had these students all year and not just this semester. These two classes didnt really see me as their teacher because they have been under her instruction all year long.

I'm not entirely too sure if my portfolio is what the college of education is exactly looking for, but it will have to do. Part of the reason that my portfolio was so annoying was because it was a pilot semester for a new portfolio and lucky me! I was chosen to participate in the pilot program. The expectations werent clearly defined from the beginning and it doesnt seem like anyone really knows whats going on, so I guess we will just have to see when it all is said and done!

Now it is onto job searches! (Yes, that is plural...) I need to find both a part time job for the summer, something like waitressing, and a career-job for the fall. Let the search begin!

Meredith is doing well and is as cute as ever!

I'm super ready for spring break!

I'm very ready to be done with grad school!

And... that's about it. I'm glad to be back blogging world- you'll see much more of me now. I will catch up on my project 52, I have about half of my pictures taken they just arent uploaded yet....

All over the place

I know its been awhile since I have actually taken the time to really BLOG- but life has been pretty crazy and when I get a spare moment I like to CRASH! So without further ado, here is a very random post to update on my life.

1. I sort of started running again. I have been like 5 times over the past two weeks, and I wanted to go today but I had a very strange pain in my foot. boo. I looked for a race to train for again and I found several that I feel are too soon to try for, but there is one in July that I could do either a 5k or a 10k. Obviously with that sort of time frame (approx 18 weeks), I would try for the 10k, but if all else fails I could always run the 5k? I think this is a very realistic goal. Once going over in my head, that means I would need to add a mile every 3 weeks- which is a VERY workable frame I think if I work at it. I'll play around with the idea a little bit more and get back to you.

2. I really need to do SOMETHING about my weight. I have an endocrinology appointment at the end of March to see what the heck is going on with me. Hopefully getting back to running will help, but I really think I need to be SUPER strick about what goes into my mouth and my liquid intake. I know I am not drinking enough water, I know that I eat things I probably shouldnt, but I have really been trying to be "good." I am just very afraid that if I dont find out what is going on and SOON that I will become diabetic or have a host of other problems that my family has a history of. I mean, I havent really GAINED any weight, but with the efforts that I have been putting into it, I havent LOST a whole lot either. A few pounds, but not enough to justify the means I guess.

3. My internship is in full swing. I spent my first full day alone-alone with the classes on Friday and I think it went well. I have one full week (out of three) under my belt. I have been exhausted this week, but not quite as badly as I would have anticipated. I have really started to tighten the reigns on my class that I have been working with this entire semester, but that is a post for another day.

4. I have started my teaching blog, but I think it will have to wait until this "full time" internship mess is over with to really get it started. If you would like to follow- the blog is here. I plan for this to be a blog to catalogue the funny moments, the challenges, the a-ha moments, and everything else that comes with the territory of being a teacher. I also plan to include some of my brilliant (if I do say so myself) plans. It should be good stuff.

5. I know I am super behind on posting my project 52 pics as well. I have some of the pictures taken, but I just havent had the time to upload them to my computer and all. Soon!

6. I am taking the praxis II next weekend for middle grades English- I really need to start studying!

I think that's about it right now-

Compliments

Today I truly discovered the power of a compliment (or several). This morning as I was walking to my classroom, I had a teacher compliment my outfit and tell me that I looked "super cute" today. Now I didn't think that I looked particularly well put together today, but I think the fact that this teacher took the time out of her day to compliment my outfit added a bit of pep to my step today.
Then, this afternoon I attended an English Department meeting in which several teachers complimented my performance in my internship. Again, I want to say that I am by no means tooting my own horn or thinking that I am some sort of fabulous teacher-intern extrodinaire, but I can say what a difference these compliments and kind words can make. I feel good about myself, about my work, and about my impact here at NBH. I dont feel like some outsider coming in for a short while to complete a requirement for school and then high-tail it out of there, I feel like a part of the team. I have gotten some amazing ideas from the people that I work with and have shared some ideas. My input, my resources, and my abilities are appreciated and there is something to be said for feeling valued. It's nice to know that my clinical teacher is talking about me (and in a good way!), its nice to know that someone thinks that what I am doing is really neat, and it's nice to know that I have a network of support for those days that I am not quite feeling it.
So take an effort to compliment someone tomorrow. Take the chance to make someone else's day the way that these individuals have made mine today. You never know how great of an effect a kind word can have on someone.

What I'm loving Wednesday!

Another link up with Jamie over at This Kind of Love!

~ I am LOVING my internship and how well its going.

~ I am LOVING my students and how they make me smile every single day.

~ I am LOVING that I had a restful weekend this weekend.

~ I am LOVING that I am coming up with some great ideas for lesson plans.

~ I am LOVING that I am approximately 133 days away from a Master's Degree in Teaching.

~ I am LOVING that my gym has recently expanded and they have some really awesome new equipment.

~ I am LOVING my family and friends.

and as always,

~ I am LOVING my sweet dog Mere (who has a vet appointment today!)

Just a few thoughts....

~ I am thinking about starting a teaching blog to archive some of my lesson/classroom ideas. I think this would be a good way to have a place to come back to for a refresher on some of my finer ideas and hopefully serve as an inspiration for other teachers who may be struggling or need a small dose of inspiration. Thoughts?

~ I have nothing on the books this weekend and I LOVE it! I am going to use this weekend to hone some of my lesson plans, work on my resume, work on my portfolio, and relax with the pupster- all while watching movies and/or Friends. It should be a productive, yet restful weekend. I may even have a sleepover with my little cousin Jon because he has been asking and asking me to have a sleepover. We'll see how that goes!

~ The more I am here, the more I like the high school that I am at. I am really getting into the groove of things here, meeting new teachers and forging professional relationships with the faculty and staff this semester.

~ Last night I tasked my Dad with making me something similar to those office mailboxes for my classroom. I have seem them as a way of organizing, passing back papers, and keeping materials in the classroom in several classrooms and I.want.some! Granted, he has time because I won't have my own classroom until at least August (and hopefully that is the latest!), but I want to get him started on it so he can make them to my exact specifications :)

~ I want to plan a vacation for the end of this semester or the end of my program (about a month and a half apart). I dont know where I will go or who will come with me, but I want to go somewhere!

~ I received my I Heart Accessories package yesterday and I love it! I can't wait to post about my goodies and link up with other swappers!

I think that's it for now!

Lockdown!

Today at my internship we had a lockdown... for 2.5 hours. When it started, we all thought it was a drill; when the lockdown lasted... and lasted... and lasted, we knew that it was in fact NOT a drill. No, there wasnt a crazy inside the school that I was in but there was a prank caller to the school and they took it very seriously. I am glad that the situation wasn't serious in the sense that there was real, bonafide danger, but I am very annoyed at the fact that I had to sit in the floor, miss my planning period, and deal with students who weren't taking the lockdown seriously. Even after it was announced that this was a real situation, the students didnt seem to think it was a big deal. I am, however, very grateful that everything turned out OK and that no one was hurt.

Internship

So yesterday I went the entire day without facebook! (It's ok, you all can gasp now...) and you know what? I did not miss it one bit. Granted, yesterday as a crazy busy day between the internship and then high tailing it to Greenville for a meeting and class, but thats ok! I think maybe I should restrict FB to the weekends (at least for now while I am in this internship), but we'll see how THAT goes!

I "taught" my first class yesterday. I know I talked entirely too fast when going over the Course Outline and I am sure the kids were resentful of the fact that I gave them a reading assessment on the first day, but what can you do? I wanted to go ahead and get that mandatory assessment out of the way so that we can move on to bigger and better things in our class. I hope that I did a good job of explaining that I want to have fun with our class, but there are certain things that we *have* to do which aren't so fun. I tried to emphasize that, when possible, I would make the activities fun and relevant. We will see how today goes because there will be actual instruction instead of all that housekeeping!

Happy Tuesday!

Just a few things....

~I need a blog overhaul. I will be working on this soon, and it may take me awhile but I want to make my blog more ME. So I do apologize if my blog looks like a mess for awhile!

~I realized today that I need to spend less time on facebook and more time in the "real world." I think I would be happier if I spent less time on facebook and watching tv, things that are meaningless in the long run, if I spent more time pursuing my interests and with real, live interactions. Facebook is good for some things, like keeping up with friends who live far away, but its sad when it gets to the point that this is the first thing you click on when you stgart up your computer and you are constantly going back to it. Similarly, TV is great for relaxing, but I find myself coming home, turning it on, and leaving it on until I go to bed. Imagine if I spent that time playing with Meredith, reading a good book, or taking pictures?

~My internship is going REALLY well so far and I am LOVING going to NBH every day instead of worrying about college classes. The faculty is really great and have done an excellent job of making me feel welcome and a part of the team. Students come tomorrow!

~Something that I am a little concerned about is this new portfolio that I have to do this semester. I missed the meeting that explained how this new portfolio worked due to snow, so I feel completely lost on it. I am supposed to get caught up on everything tomorrow, but even people that were able to go to the initial meeting are lost, so I dont feel so good about that.

~I never thought that I would say this, but I am SOOO tired of snow! Normally snow is something that we here in Eastern NC get once in a blue moon and it is such a treat when we do, this year we have had snow three times so far and we haven't even hit the time of winter that we normally get snow.

Internship Day 1

I went to the high school for the first day of my "Senior 1" internship today and I have to say, I think this will be an interesting challenge- completely in a good way. My clinical teacher seems very nice and I am excited to work with her. I think this time will almost most definitely be better than the last. The challenging part will come in with the students who are all low-level freshman. The good thing is that I will get to know most of my students this semester through observation and be able to teach them next semester when I know their personalities. I will have two periods of students that I get to do this with, so next semester I will only have to get to know one period of students. I do need to go ahead and start researching though, I already know I will have a challenge with teaching them writing so I need to research effective strategies. Thankfully I am in a Teaching Writing course this semester at ECU and I think that this will help greatly. So all my worries are gone for now and I will soon be able to start diving in!