Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 8th Grade Week song

On the first day of school
My week gave to me,
Mitosis in the 7th grade.
The chromosomes were splitting,
The students were sort of working.
And one student said "how old are you?"
On the second day of school
My week gave to me,
Third grade.
Students were small
Their concerns were large,
And all the students said "that's not how we do it."
On that same day of school,
My week gave to me,
Fifth grade.
Independent clauses
The students all said, "you are mean!"
On the third day of school
My week gave to me,
Geography and history.
The students were large.
Some worked hard.
One said to me, "can I listen to this song by Pink"
I said no
With a partridge in a pear tree!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

In case of cabin fever: do hip-hop

I have discovered the best relief to cabin fever in the winter.

I have a problem. My problem is that I love to bike, roller blade, play frisbee, and just plain be outside and be active. I love doing things outside.

The problem comes when it's winter. It's minus two degrees outside and if I tried to throw a frisbee my fingers would freeze.

Yet! Have NO fear!

What, you may ask, is my salvation?

Hip-hop Dance Videos! Work-out hip-hop dance videos to be specific.

The moves include all the challenges of skating. I can jump, spin in circles, and do moves like putting my left foot over my right and then throwing my arms around! Pretty active!

My current roomie introduced me to dance and I think that I like it. Dance also includes working with a beat and with a rythm which I love but am not always skilled at (just ask my guitar teacher about the rythm thing). I love finding the beat and going along with it in my moves.

In case of cabin fever: Do hip-hop

Friday, January 23, 2009

The Seventh Grade English

The beauty of being able to sub in America today is that you are allowed to sub K-12. Sweet.

Yesterday I worked in a junior high teaching an English lesson to mostly 7th grade students.

Loved it! I think junior high teachers have it easy. They can plan one lesson for like three classes for ONE day!

Elementary teachers have to plan five or six lesson plans per day per week.

Perhaps I shall in the future make is so that I am certified to teach k-12. Then if I get tired of the little kids I can just move on up to the high school. Yup. Life is good!

In other thoughts:

It's funny how many people want to help with wedding plans. It's a bit overwhelming too.

I'm thinking of it like a puzzle. Some people want me to put the middle pieces together first and some people want me to put the edge pieces together first. I'm still working on looking at the big picture and getting the pieces out of the box. What do I have to work with? Who is willing to help? What do I want the big picture to look like?

I'm approaching it with some nervousness as a wedding is much more public than a puzzle and sometimes the best puzzles take the longest to put together. But with determination and persistence, the pieces come together and before you know it, it's finished.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Substitute

Yesterday I hung out with 18 four and five year olds. Talk about little people!

They needed so much help.

The first thing I was supposed to talk about with the kids was the calendar which was still a week off since the small children hadn't been in school. I started out by saying who I was. Then I asked them what day it was.

A small child raised their hand and I picked them and they said, "Sunday!" I said, "no". What day comes after Sunday?

"Sunday!" Sigh. OK Today is Monday if today is Monday what day will tomorrow be?

"Sunday" Sing. Uhm. Nope, it starts with a T

"Thursday!". Ha. No it's Tuesday.

They were cute for about the first 2 hours, Then when the associate and I were gearing up all 18 small children for recess and none of them could zip their coats and seemed to think they had all the time in the world to change into snow pants, coats, hats, boots, and gloves, I decided they weren't really that cute. Ha.

Maybe if there had been less then 18 small children.

Yet it was great.

Great to be in a classroom and getting PAID! Wow! I think the knowledge that I am working gives me a much better attitude than I even had last semester. Of course I will work hard in the classroom each day. Especially if I know I am working for money, to support myself and to support my lifestyle. It's nice to feel that I've earned this. I've earned the right to work in the classroom. I have a piece of paper that represents that right. Seems silly that all they give me after four and a half years is a piece of paper! Yet to the school system, it's exactly what I needed.

Seems Ironic.

As the characters in Stephen King's novel would say, "sounds Hawaiian doesn't it?"

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Weight

My thoughts are many this night.

I wish the world could be easier on all our souls.
That instead of hurting each other,
We would simply sacrifice.
Sacrifice our fears and hurts, our tears and wounds
Lay them down.
Instead of swinging them around
Letting them hit whoever happens to be in our way.
I wish I had more answers.
I wish that blame wasn't such an easy thing to throw
In other people's face.
There's a phrase I learned in North Carolina,
It is what it is.
I admire this. It is a phrase of acceptance.
That this is life. And it will be no different.
Yet let ME do the best I can.
No matter what the "it" in that phrase is.
Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.
Never have justified sin or wrong actions.
It's funny how sometimes we think the excuses do.
I wish I had the answers.
I remember being in that place where my burdens
Swung around and gave someone else a black eye.
I remember being stuck. Thinking I'd never be free.
But there was a way out.
Why do you persecute me were the exact words I heard.
And I love you
Came very next.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Whispers

The freezing cold temps provide yet another day of closed schools. Another day without even a chance for work.

It's hard playing this waiting game. Waking up in the morning, hoping for a call, only to find no school yet again. I'm eager to get started. These delays make me feel that perhaps I'll never work and just be a bum, although that isn't really true. It's how I feel though.

Other thoughts for the day: I have found in myself many varying thoughts on relationships lately, mine in particular. I think I am realizing how sometimes, especially after being at long distances from each other, it's hard for me to accept love and the fact that someone else wants to be there for me. Some days I get this thought that I am out for myself, I must fight for myself and let none be too close. Paul has been holding doors for me and paying for us to go eat places and doing things like that. It's weird how I have to remind myself that it's OK to let him do those things. That he is showing love.

There's this stubborn streak in me that I feel to the core. It's the streak that says "I don't need anybody". Yet my heart is louder and says, trust this. Trust this love.

It's a whisper. A whisper I choose to trust.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The attraction of Sacrificial Love

Last night we went to the movie Seven Pounds with Will Smith.

It was not at all the movie I expected it to be, I mean, I cried at the end, how often does that happen with Will Smith?

The main message of the movie is sacrificial love. It's about one man's sacrifices to let others live a richer, fuller life.

It's interesting how we are either really moved by this sort of love or we are disgusted by it.

I think at times we are moved because we realize that to some extent all love is sacrificial, and that we all need someone to sacrifice SOMETHING for us. Just think about mothers.

Yet at times, when we feel that spurt of independence and wanting to be all individual, we are disgusted that anyone would sacrifice so much for others. We would say, live your own life and forget about the rest.

I recently talked with a friend about balance. Extremes tend to get people in trouble. Even in my relationship I am thinking, how much do I do for Paul? Because saying no or disagreeing does not signify more or less love. Yet at the same time sacrifice DOES seem to signify love. BUT if you lay down everything and always do what they want - that other person will not respect you= balance. It's all about the balance.

In other news: I hope to start getting some calls for subbing.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Family plus Thoughts

Today I got together with some of the Olson family.

It was quite fun. The kids that I remember running around with when I was younger were almost all there. Yet at the same time, I noticed both in how the adults treated me and in my own attitude that I have been accepted as more or less an adult.

Growing up and becoming part of the "real world" is all something we must do. It is all something they have all been through and it's nice to find myself be taken seriously. Whoa. I'm really going to do it.

Today I finalized my resume and printed off copies onto nice paper. This makes me feel really official. I also inserted my teaching certification into the professional padfolio I bought to be organized at interviews. I have completed about two and a half applications and will turn at least two of these applications in tomorrow.

It seems like I needed last week to let the whirlwind calm a bit before jumping into applying.

It's exciting. New Chapters, new doors, and what seems like a whole new life. Yes please!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

UPDATE

Whew.

I have finally landed!

After much moving about, a vacation with my family, and limited internet access, here I am.

I do not have too much to say except it's been crazy and I'm ready to be in one place for a bit.

One exciting bit of news is that I received my teaching license in the mail! Woo! I am official! It's very hard to believe because after going through four years my degree and my occupation has always seemed like a distant dream. Now I am filling out sub applications and getting my resume together and it's really awesome to be able to put my license information on those applications. Dear working world, I have entered!

I shall keep all informed.