my collection of mice

So I really thought when I created this blog that I would be updating it often. I don't know what I came over me, I've never maintained something like this with great voracity. Alas, the first week has come and gone and I am approaching the close of the second week.

We are getting there. The first week didn't go quite as well as I wanted. My class is awesome--most of my students are very quiet, a third are ELL and the other's are simply fantastic. I'm really excited to get to know their personalities more as the year progresses. I do have one little stinker who is causing me a lot of grief. He (I'll call him A.S.) came to my class with a belligerent attitude and hasn't stopped talking back to me. I'm doing my best and have a lot of support from my colleagues, but the principal and A.P. have already had a formal meeting with his mother about his behavior. He's been down right nasty to the school crossing guard and nearly incited a riot in lunch the other day. Needless to say, A.S. came to me like this, on the first day of school.

More than disrupting my class (which is a huge concern!) I am worried about A.S. There is something inside him that is causing him to act this way. I wish that I could help to fix it, but I really feel as though this one is out of my hands. There are my child psych tendencies. So now A.S. is back at school (after his momentary suspension) and we will work together to find something that he can get excited about. Pray for him and me!

I am slowly getting into managing a class on my own, writing lesson plans, keeping track of students' schedules, my own schedule, standards and a pile of papers. It only took me 6 or 7 hours to write lesson plans for the week....I'm improving? I sure hope.

This first year teacher thing is kind of a nightmare. Eventually you'll wake up and it's over, but in the meanwhile you have to pretend you really know what you're doing. I like what my teacher mentor said, "you're trying to figure out how to teach while figuring out how to manage a classroom. You just can't do both at the same time yet. You'll get there...." So I am here waiting until I get there.

In the meantime--my principal was in twice this week to do observations. TWICE. I didn't particularly enjoy either, but it's getting easier. I just get so intimidated by him, and for no reason. He wants me to do well and I want me to do well, I just wish we could ignore the parts that I don't do well. Hmmm think of the possibilities.


Thomas comes tomorrow! Yay--special times ahead. (I can't tell you yet, Thomas wants it to be a surprise).

Sleep now
A

big news

I almost forgot--

6 days until Tyler comes to visit

12 days until Thomas comes to visit

this month brought to you by the letter "T".


A

Only in Vegas

I met a male model. He's also the pastor of a local church.

He's a pastor before he's a model, which is cool because he's convicted to minister to those who aren't actually pursuing a relationship with God. The guys he works with receive more than a formidable companion, but someone who is genuinely interested in their story and cool with exactly where they are at.

I hope to do that.


So, tomorrow is the first day that I will meet my students. I am SO anxious to put their names with their faces. Mostly, I am really nervous about how the day will go down. There is so much emphasis and importance encapsulating the first day/week that I'm fearful of failing. Fixing any problems or shortcomings from these next two weeks would be an uphill battle.

Wish me luck.

For now I have to focus on finalizing my plans for tomorrow. I have 25 little dears that will be gracing my with their presence and I refuse to disappoint.

A

planning.

The students arrived, went to special, came back. We spent some time developing classroom rules talked about expectations and then I stared at them. They stared back. I realized that I forgot to run of some copies of things for lessons that afternoon. So I attempted to go to my fall back--Read Aloud, but as I scanned the room and my desk but I couldn't find my book, or any books for that matter. Nothing. (Which is odd because I just recently loaded up a bookshelf with books...) Finally, I just panicked and nearly started to cry.

Then I woke up.

Now, I plan. I shall plan my little heart out. There is so much pressure surrounding the first day and weeks of school that I am getting nervous. Hopefully these kids are as psyched for school as I am (right!)

A

Labor Day: a day on, not a day off.

Michelle came up from Phoenix to spend the weekend with me . I had to do some quick thinking because I don't know enough of the city yet to really show it off. Then again Vegas kind of shows itself off. But these are some pictures from Mount Charleston, specifically Cathedral Rock. Michelle and I went on a hick to kind of explore the area, get some exercise and cool off (Mt Charleston is 30 degrees cooler than in the valley).


This is a picture on the way up to Cathedral Rock. We were both surprised at how much the mountains in the desert look like areas we see at home.

This is a giant root system from a tree that was exposed along the trail.

We finally got on top of Cathedral Rock (elevation 8,600) and we could see the little village that sits at the base. At this point in our journey we also fed the local wildlife (we both know that you're not supposed to feed the wildlife...spare me the lecture) some walnuts. Both chipmunks were extremely grateful.

While we were on top of the rock we could see that a thunderstorm was rolling in. While it was cool to see the lightning and ominous clouds, we thought it best to not dottle. So we headed down. It was sunshiney bright for the remainder of the trek. Oh desert.



More pictures to follow. Now that my camera is out, I will get on the ball.

A

Prepare to be bored.

I think that part of teacher education should include an extended unit on how to survive Professional Development/Staff Meetings/Curriculum Orientation week. Don't get me wrong--I understand the value of these meetings. I don't know everything and each district/state/administrator establishes different expectations, but that doesn't mean that it isn't any less boring.

Today I was orientated to the district's approach to standards. It is strange that I simultaneously feel like I "knew that before" and "haven't ever heard that before" about the presentation. I do know that I really am frustrated by the phrase "It depends on your administrator". So much for getting questions answered. Really, I know it will be OK--my principal is reasonable--but I would feel more comfortable just having all the expectations clearly laid out. We'll see.

I'm scared, excited, apprehensive and other things that I can't but my finger on.

I'm scared about the series of evaluations that we are required to go through. I've never liked failing (read mediocrity/average/acceptable), if I don't over-achieve I haven't done enough. I'm really trying to escape this mental block. I am new at this, I will not be as good as experienced teachers, there are always areas that need improvement. I will need improvement.

As Martha would say, "It's a good thing"

A

Oh I wish I had pictures.

I don't think my dad believes in uploading pictures on Facebook (or really Facebook for that matter) and I really don't believe in taking my camera places. So I shall use words. Perhaps a thousand of them.

I think that's how many it would take.

Over the past seven days I have:

• traveled well over 3,000 miles
• told about 300 people my SSN and birthdate (I even told one group my mother's maiden name)
• dropped $200 at Target (twice)
• signed my name about 600 times
• been in three time zones
• been charged the child's admission rate
• broke down once
• nearly been pulled over (thank you person who was following closely behind me)
• been outside in 115 degree weather

Okay...so these are vague impressions of what I have been up to...Some moments I really feel like I am in over my head. Other moments I feel like I am treading just enough water to keep afloat. This is all to say that although I had a fantastic education, I am an extremely competent teacher (and eager to learn more!) this is difficult. I finally saw my school, met my fellow teachers and administrators--they fit well with me. It will be the most growing year yet which is a definitely good thing, if I stop growing there is something amiss.

Oh yeah. Vegas. The city is poorly planned--the infrastructure is really frustrating (you can't get there from here situations)--and I have yet to see Gil Grissom or any of his staff.

Remind me to tell you about my classroom and why I don't see my students until September 17th. For now, I have to go to bed.

A