Clemson or Carolina???

For those of you who were so concerned about whether or not I would find activities for tomorrow that you just couldn't sleep, no worries I now have plans for the whole week.  :)

I knew that something would come to me eventually, and right after it did I wished I had stayed downtown longer today because once I had the idea the plans did not take long at all.  I just hope they go as well as I think they will.

There are more important things on my mind right now, now that I am well prepared for the school week of course.  If I end up getting a job and moving down here, how will I know which side to be on.  I have no ties to either Clemson or Carolina, but if I live here people will ask me who I am for and I will need to have an answer.  Clemson has prettier colors and a name that just sounds a lot cooler than Carolina Gamecocks, but.....I can't think of any buts so I guess it'll be Clemson. Problem solved :p

And I found these really cool program covers from back in the day, so that makes me want to stick with my decision even more.

Moving down here is a really big decision and I think that fact just now hit me.  I love it here.  There are so many places to explore and it's near the ocean.  It is beautiful.  I found a church that I really like going to.  It would not be the end of the world to have to live here.  I am sure that I would enjoy it....

But, I also need to consider the sacrifices.  Life at home will go on without me.  My grandpa doesn't travel and he would be devastated.  He is always telling me how much he misses me and that he can't wait for me to come home in December.  I don't know if I'll even be able to tell him that I want to move here.  Also, I will barely ever see my friends. And I will be doing a lot of things alone, which I usually don't mind but I'm pretty sure it would get old after a year or so.  

The bottom line is, I need to be where the jobs are.  I am happy here.  There is no reason why I shouldn't move here.  Ugh there is just so much to think about for the future.  Becoming a real adult is so conflicting.  

Right now I need to go grade some projects and relax a little bit before the stressful week begins.  Bring it on 7th graders, bring it on. 

American History > World History

The sun sets at approximately 5:30 pm now.  I guess that means I should wake up earlier next Saturday.  But, even in those short daylight hours I did a lot. I am exhausted.

I drove to Mt. Pleasant and ended up at a park by the water.  Since I was there and I accidentally paid for 10 hours of parking (the machine needed exact change and I didn't read that until after I lost my 5 dollar bill)  I decided to walk across the Arthur Ravenel Bridge.  The view was fantastic and I felt really good afterwards except for the fact that my legs were like Jell-O.  It was such a perfect day for it.  The sun was shining and I was warm in just a long sleeve shirt and sweater in November!

Then I drove to Fort Moultrie, which was free this weekend because of Veterans Day.  I was pretty excited about that.  It was really cool to walk through it and learn about it's rich history.  It served our country for 171 years starting in the Revolutionary War.  They had a cool demonstration with people dressed as soldiers from every major American war.  Some of them fired their weapons. It was pretty awesome.

The truth is I was just thrilled because I was experiencing American history instead of reading about world history.  I am stuck with world history all week long and it was such a relief to learn about things I actually find interesting.  I know people say that there is a lot more to world history and it covers a much longer period of time and that American history is really short compared to it, but I would rather learn about something that happened right here in my own backyard.  I'm not saying world history isn't important, because it is, but if I had the choice between Latin American independence movements and the Civil War, I would choose the Civil War every time....

...Which is kind of unfortunate considering I need to think of a good way to teach Latin American independence for Monday.

Oh well.  I'll figure it out.

After I walked around the fort I went to the beach.  I sat on my blanket and read my book while the sun was setting.  I could hear the waves crashing and feel my face burning from being out in the sun all day.  It was perfect and relaxing.  I am not used to having access to the ocean in November.  But it is something I could get used to. :)

Veteran's Day Adventures

After my first week of solo teaching at College Park I can sum my feelings up into one word: frustrated. I am doing the best I can but it doesn't seem to be cutting it.  7th graders frustrate me.  Most of them are sweet kids and I really like them, but some of them are awful to have in class.  My classroom management skills have evolved to where I am no longer a pushover, but even being really mean has absolutely no effect on these students.  All it does is make me feel terrible.  


I think the reason Thursday was so rough was because it was the last day of school for the week and we had a substitute teacher in for Mrs. Pulaski.  The kids were so crazy all day and would not listen when I told them to be quiet.  I will never understand that.  Whenever a teacher told me to be quiet in school, I listened.  I was so angry by the end of the day that one of the students told me that my veins were popping out.  I couldn't see myself, but I believe it.  


I have to start teaching Latin American independence movements on Monday.  I have the big activity for Wednesday and Thursday already planned, but I have no idea what to do for Monday and Tuesday.  I have racked my brain over and over again and I just can't think of something fun and engaging for them to do.  I never had this problem with 5th grade language arts.  This is another reason why I am so frustrated. I know that everything can't be easy, but it should not be this hard. 



Maybe God is trying to make me realize that as much as I love history, I shouldn't teach it to 7th graders.  If I get a social studies job, I would love for American history to be in the standards.  I just can't make myself get excited about the unification of Germany and Italy or the Haitian revolution so how am I supposed to make them excited.


I keep telling myself that no one can be good at everything, but I still feel like I am failing at my job if I can't figure out how to teach them the information they need to pass the PACT test (kind of like the OAA except for South Carolina).  


Perhaps I should just acknowledge the fact that I had a bad day on Thursday and then move on.  Nobody has told me that I am doing a bad job.  I have received good feedback from Mrs. Pulaski.  I have no reason to be this hard on myself.  I need to relax and then retackle the problem tomorrow.  


On a lighter note, I took this much needed day off and relaxed.  


I went to lunch with a few girls I met at church, which may not sound like much, but it was such a blessing to hang out with people and talk since I am alone here most of the time.  

Then I decided to just drive towards downtown Charleston and see what happened.  I ended up at Patriot's Point where the battleship the USS Yorktown has been turned into a museum.  It was really cool to see, but kind of creepy to walk through alone.  I had to fit through small spaces and the path of the tour consisted of plenty of twists and turns.  I think the main reason it was so creepy because it was so empty and quiet.  There were all those beds the men slept in and all the sinks where they washed at and the tables they ate at and all the dental chairs and medical rooms.  It was just sort of eerie to be there alone.  Whenever I came across another person I jumped.  

I ended up talker to an older man who was a veteran.  He said being on the ship brought back a lot of memories.  He said they were good ones.  He told me a few stories, I said thank you for serving and then we parted ways.  A few minutes later he came back to me and said thank you for saying that.  I hope that I made his day by letting him know that he is appreciated.  After that whole situation I started getting emotional.  The Medal of Honor part of the museum made me even more emotional.


I don't even want to think about what my life would be like if there weren't men and women who chose to go above and beyond in serving our country.  I don't think I could ever have the guts to do some of the things veterans have done.  I watched a video about a man who threw himself on top of a grenade to absorb the impact so that the rest of his comrades could defeat the enemy.  I cannot even fathom that kind of sacrifice.  I would do a lot for the people that I love, but knowingly throwing myself on a grenade that's about to explode!? Would you do that? I was seriously about to cry while hearing about all the heroes who risked their lives for our freedom.

*As an afterthought, I would like to say that I do not condone going to these types of places alone.  It is not safe, I repeat, not safe for a young women to be wandering around by herself.  However, if you can tell me the last time I complied to a rule like that I will give you a million bucks.  I am not going to sit around miserable just because I have no one to walk around Charleston with.  

Anyways, I was terrified towards the end of the day and I will explain why.  I got off the Yorktown and decided to check out the submarine next to it.  Submarine=even smaller, cramped, couldn't escape from a kidnapper if you tried, space.

Long story short, a man with a 10 year old son gave me the creeps.  First he said something about me being 12.  When he finally believed I was 21 he said oh good because I thought I was creepy for thinking a 12 year old was cute but now its okay.  

What!!!??? No, Mister.  It is NOT okay.  Leave me alone.  I am no longer going to be nice and start chats with strangers.  I thought a man with a kid was safe! What is this world coming to??? 

Alright, so that's my horror story.  

The lesson here is: If you're smart you'll always take a buddy to a battleship. 

It's Already Week 3???

It is Tuesday of Week 3.  I started solo teaching yesterday.  I had this whole week planned and lessons fully typed into the Ashland form by Sunday afternoon.  In other words, I have been working hard.  One of the reasons that I have been working so incredibly hard, besides the fact that I always do my best, is because I have been so stressed about doing a good job.


Of course, I shouldn't have worried so much, but what else is new? Monday went much better than I thought it would.  I don't know why I let me psyche myself out about social studies and 7th grade.  Don't get me wrong, it is not all easy and there are definitely things I need to work on in my teaching, but I did not do a bad job by any means.


I am slowly finding out that these students are really sweet in their own way.  There are a girl and a boy that stand outside by the front door of the school each morning and when they see me coming they each hold a door open for me and compete to see whose door I go in.  I try and go back and forth each day and I always say thanks to both of them.


There are a few students who have started to call me Miss Sandy.  Now, I am not going to lie and say that I love the nickname.  I actually kind of hate it.  But, at least these 7th graders are showing me that they like me  and are listening to me when I teach so I'm just going to let them have this one. I am never letting another group of students give me that nickname though.  It might drive me insane.




Example 1 of Me Being A Huge Dork

I got a little upset after 1st block on Monday because the students were laughing and I could not figure out why.  They wouldn't tell me which made me think they were laughing at me.  Now is the time you'll want to call me paranoid and say I'm just being silly.  But, they were laughing at me! Today one of the girls said that I started dancing when I was telling them to "Back it up" I can't remember why I was saying that but it must have been relevant because I wouldn't say that for no reason.  Anyways, I do not remember dancing, but I am sure I must have looked ridiculous so I'm just going to tell myself it was more of a "laughing with me" incident rather than saying that they were laughing at me...Please just let me think that, it will help me sleep at night.
I am sure there will be more examples later. 


The great thing about this week is that we only have two more days!!! We have Friday off for Veteran's Day and I am headed off to Disney with some other AU students. :)

"Yes, Ma'am"

Today I went on an adventure by myself and it was the perfect way to spend the Saturday after my first week at College Park Middle School.  After sleeping in until 10 in the morning, I drove to the South Carolina Aquarium. But it was not just the regular old aquarium, it was the Scary'um Aquarium.  The exhibits were filled with scary Halloween props, which was fun. The main attraction was an albino alligator that didn't really move much but was still amazing to look at. 

When I was done at the aquarium, I drove back to the center of town: Meeting Street and the market.  I ended up buying a Tervis mug for all the coffee and water I will be drinking as a teacher.  Then I wandered down Broad Street and ended up at Waterfront Park.  I sat on a bench and read for awhile.  This is the view I had from my spot.  Be jealous Ohioans. :) 

I wandered some more around the city going into shops and stopping at Belgian Gelato.  It gave me that much needed flavor of chocolate. I had to practically force myself to leave downtown because I love it there so much.  I discovered many new places today.  Burger Babies on King Street is another good place to eat.  I went there on Tuesday.  


Coming down to South Carolina has been an adjustment.  I got so attached to my 5th graders and my coworkers at Erwine and I'm sure that has something to do with how difficult this adjustment has been.  There is nothing wrong with the location, I absolutely love it here as you can obviously tell, the adjustments have to do with how the schools are in this state.  I don't mean this in a bad way; they are just so different from the schools that I have attended and the schools I have worked in.  


One of the positive changes is that students down here are very respectful of teachers and all adults for that matter.  There is never a time when the word "yes" is not followed by the word "ma'am."  That is something we never hear in Ohio.  I have never used it either; I wasn't even 100% sure how to spell it until I looked it up to write this blog post.  Students still misbehave like they do everywhere else, but when you tell them to do something, they do not argue.  It is followed by a "Yes, Ma'am!"  I'm afraid I will grow accustomed to hearing it and I will be in for reverse culture shock when and if I go home to teach in Ohio.  This is one of the things I love the most about teaching in this state.  


There are other differences between schools in South Carolina and Ohio, but I will get to them later.  For now I just want to say that I love how polite these kids are, and I hope it makes my job easier by resulting in less class disruptions so that students are able to learn something during my time here.   

First Day

Today was my first day at College Park Middle School. But, I am going to start from tonight and work my way backwards because it makes more sense to me.


I am really sad right now.  I could say it's because my parents left, but I was never homesick as a kid so that can't be it.  But, I did just read the goodbye cards from my 5th graders and I'm almost positive that is why I'm upset.  I miss them and some of these cards are breaking my heart. :(

I hope they miss me as much as these cards say they do, because I definitely miss them just as much. 


Despite my lack of 5th graders in the south, I had a very good first day at College Park Middle School.  My teacher is very nice and I loved observing her because she is all about helping the students make connections in their learning.  She seems to have good rapport with them as well, which is good because it means I can get there too with a little bit of time and effort.  I was a little nervous about 7th grade to begin with and the fact that this school is more diverse than any other school I've been to or worked at makes it a little more scary.  But everyone was very welcoming and I think this will be a great experience. 


I already had a conversation with a student about Gene Simmons finally marrying Shannon and how KISS is the coolest band.  I don't know this student's name, but that will come later. When I heard the name Gene Simmons I jumped at the chance to talk to someone because I had just been observing all day and never had a chance to talk to any students.  Yay for fire drills in the middle of class, I guess. 


On Sunday, I walked around downtown Charleston with my parents.  It felt so good to be back and be warm.  Being by the ocean is enough to lift anyone's spirits. 

This is a picture of me posing after I took my sweater off to show everyone in Ohio how warm it is here.  I just had to be a jerk and do it because I thought it was funny.  AND it's the truth! I really was getting so warm that I had to take my sweater off. 


We walked around Waterfront park with the Pineapple fountain and the pier with the swinging benches.  My mom wanted to swing on one so badly but we never found one vacant until later on tonight when it was dark and there was no point in taking a picture.  Just believe me when I tell you it was cool.  


Restaurants: Toast, Hyman's, Mellow Mushroom.  I would recommend them all.  Hyman's I knew about before and the other 2 are new discoveries.  Also I have decided that I need to spend an entire Saturday on King Street on one of the upcoming weekends.  I am now taking donations for my shopping fund...Just kidding. 


I can't wait to get to school tomorrow and spend some time getting to know these 7th graders! I know I keep talking about how sad I am about leaving my 5th graders, but I am open to giving this new group of students a chance. 

Getting There

This morning I packed up the car and headed south.  It is ironic that I have been wanting to leave Ohio because of the dreary, depressing weather and the day that I set off is the most beautiful fall day anyone could ask for.  I soaked it all in and took a ton of pictures.  I got out my phone and snapped photos down the highway in West Virginia.  The results do not even come close to doing God's exquisite creation justice, but I will share them anyways.  

West Virgina was certainly a sight to behold.  Which surprised me considering I usually find the landscape dull to look at while making the same drive in the summer.  The colors take my breath away and I don't even care how cheesy that sounds.  I happen to like cheese because it is usually true.  

The 9 hour drive went by extremely fast.

I could say it was the beautiful scenery, but I think satellite radio may have had something to do with that as well.  Some of the songs made me think about some of my 5th graders from Erwine.  There was a boy in my homeroom that came in singing either a song by Eminem or "Pumped up Kicks" pretty much every day.  Remembering the little things certainly doesn't make leaving any easier, but it makes life a little brighter by triggering a laugh when you least expect it.  I hope that these 7th graders have a sense of humor and that we can laugh together.  

After a facebook status update, numerous games of Words with Friends, and a good 3 hours spent on Pinterest (my latest obsession, I'm anxiously awaiting my invite as I type), my cell phone died.  Luckily we were only a half hour away from dinner and the hotel at that point.  

Ruby Tuesday's has the best croutons ever.  I am so glad there is one in the area.

*Note to self: Go there for dinner when I am too lazy to cook something and I don't want to starve to death.

Tomorrow my parents and I are going to make a trip to Walmart to get some things I need and then I will move into Elaine's house, where I will be living for the next 7 weeks.  In the land of the palm trees :) 

But I will not forget about my home tree and I look forward to seeing what it looks like in December when i return. 

The tree in my front yard at home.  I took this picture as we were pulling out of the driveway. 

There's a Road Like a Long Gray Ribbon Far As I Can See

The Band Perry song "Independence" is my anthem right now.


"There's a road like a long gray ribbon far as I can see; And it's pulling independence out of me."

I am leaving rainy, dreary, soon to be snowy Ohio tomorrow morning and heading for bright and sunny Charleston, South Carolina :) I am pretty happy about this.  The cold weather may be the main reason.  Also, independence is something that I have been missing dearly these past few weeks living at home.  Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but it is time to go away for awhile.  I am ready for a change of scenery.  I am ready to be near historic downtown Charleston and the beach.  I am ready to job search and hopefully have the need to search for an apartment...  


The only problem is the packing.  I am sitting here writing this with maybe only half of my packing done.  Mostly because I am worried all of the stuff I want to bring for 7 weeks won't fit in the car. 


I am excited about getting to my 7th grade social studies class, but my last day at Erwine was really sad.  I am really going to miss my teacher and all of the students.  They did so many special things for me and I am really grateful and appreciative of the memories I made.  I have a class picture from picture day of our home room class.  The kids all made me goodbye cards, which I haven't read yet.  There will probably be a post about that when I get to Charleston and read them and I'll cry like a baby, you know the normal separation anxiety stuff.  Surprisingly I made it out of the school, went to say goodbye to my grandpa, and made it into my car and down the street before i broke down. One girl brought me the prettiest pink flowers, a few other girls made things, and one special student brought her her grape juice from the cafeteria.  Weird but thoughtful... Our home room pretty much attacked me with a giant group hug and it made me feel like I had really left an impression on them.  They definitely left one on me.  I'll never forget my first class. :) 

One Little "P" Makes a Huge Difference

This long weekend went by in a whirlwind of events.  It consisted of making a test, grading journals, spending a night in Ashland, the Homecoming football game where my best friend walked out as Homecoming Queen, a really lame night at home, working in the nursery at church, and a wedding vow renewal celebration...oh and more grading.  

My last "college weekend" was a little bittersweet.  After this semester of being at home and teaching every day like it's my job, I finally realized that I am not really a student anymore.  It was nice to see my friends since I won't be seeing them again until December, but I also felt relieved that I do not have to be on campus anymore unless I choose to visit.  Another realization I came to is that life moves on without me there.  It doesn't really matter to anyone whether I stay or go, which is fine because it never really felt like my place anyways (until I got my own dorm room but that's a different story.)  I am really going to miss my two best friends, but besides that I have been dying to leave since I got there and I'm not sad about it. 


Now on to the interesting stuff.... 


I gave the students some interesting journal prompts this time around and I was really excited to see what they came up with.  I was not disappointed.  If you could be related to any famous person, who would it be and why? A pretty solid prompt if you ask me.  It relates to the book we're reading, The Maze of Bones, because the main characters find out that a whole bunch of famous people are their relatives.  Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Peyton Hillis, Tony Hawk, Rob Drydek were the most popular with the 5th graders.  Also, Cody Simpson came up quite a few times but I have to admit I have not even the slightest idea who that is. 


There were also a few rappers that had some pretty high representation in the journals.  This is where the importance of that extra "p" comes in. 


"I would be related to Nicki Minaj. Becuse she is awesome. And she is awesome at raping.""If I could I would be related to Lil Wayne. Because he is a beasty raper and makes a lot of money." 

Ok, please tell me you noticed the words RAPING and RAPER!  Obviously I knew what the students meant, but wouldn't that be a red flag for you?!  One little letter makes a world of difference.  Sure, some people may say rap and rape go hand in hand (Lil Wayne was in jail for a reason?), but my innocent students did not make that spelling mistake on purpose.  The missing "p" is funny and endearing right now, but it also makes me want to do so much better at helping students excel in spelling.  I will be having a talk with students about words with double letters before I leave.  Perhaps it is immature for me to even make a big deal about this situation, but give me a break.  I have been around 5th graders for awhile and laughter is important.  


   


I'm coming up on my last week at Erwine Intermediate School with my lovely 5th graders.  I'm starting to think that I chose the wrong profession and here's why: I get easily attached to people.  I have only spent five weeks with these students.  It has been more than enough time to get to know each and every one of them. The weeks have been challenging and frustrating.  Some days I have even wanted to pull my hair out. However, to think that I won't get to work with these teachers, or teach this group of students again makes me want to cry.  I am terrible at letting go, which is not really the best quality for a teacher to have since I'll have to let go of a group of students every year once I have a job.  Crap. 


*Side note: Am I allowed to use the word "crap" if I can't let my students say it?     

New Beginnings

September 9, 2011 = First day of student teaching at Erwine Intermediate in Coventry School District.


October 11, 2011 = I only have a week and a half left!? But, I'm not ready to leave anymore. :(


I have been anxiously awaiting my trip to Charleston, South Carolina since I applied for the Southern Internship Program in the Spring Semester.  It has always been one of my favorite cities and I am looking forward to having the freedom to explore what is has to offer for 7 whole weeks.  However, so many great things have been happening at home that I find myself feeling a little sad about leaving.

Side note: One of the great things happening at home is that my family just moved into a brand new house. I love my new room, the pretty scenery, and the humongous yard in the middle of nowhere. Hands down best unpacking memory = finding my grandma's old fur coat in the cedar chest. Narnia, anyone?  

 Anyways... 



Working at Erwine has been a phenomenal experience.  Being in a 5th grade language arts classroom has reminded me of how much I love teaching.  Despite all of the things they don't tell you about before hand, (like the massive consumption of donuts and bagels and the addiction to chocolate) I know that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be.


I love what I am doing and I am having a blast spending my days in the classroom with these students.  They are the sweetest, most talkative bunch I have ever encountered.  Perhaps they are the most difficult group of students I have worked with, but I have learned so much from them.


I also could not have asked for a better mentor teacher.  I have felt comfortable with the staff from the very beginning.  They have made me a part of the group, at least I think, and I really appreciate it.


I don't really have much else to say at this point other than I have about a million things to do in order to pack and get ready to make the drive next Friday. 10 days...This is crazy! My next great adventure is about to begin :)


(If you're wondering about the sad face at the beginning and the happy one at the end then let me just say: Yes, I am feeling bipolar about this at the moment.)