Middle School Maven

i need guidance please!

2012-01-22T20:29:00.000-06:00

have any of you heard of the america's choice program? if not google it because that is what i teach and while i enjoy it most of the time shockingly it's not perfect. i am teaching two classes that are ninety minutes and one that is forty-five minutes. i love having ninety minutes to teach! i love knowing that if my kids want to read more of their independent reading book i can add ten minutes to that lesson. i have also found that my students are starting to enjoy reading more which as a total book worm makes me happy! tomorrow we start unit two and it is about the civil rights movement. i love this unit except for the following:
my students don't learn about the civil war, civil rights, etc until high school - i teach 7th grade!
most of my student's don't have the background knowledge needed for this unit.
most of my students are hispanic and can't seem to connect with this unit.

here's where i need the guidance. how do i get them to connect with this unit?

i am also teaching my on grade level class (the forty-five minute one) about Virginia Hamilton and well see aboves' issues. Not to mention they are supposed to read in groups, and alone and well that's a cluster at it's best. the students have eight weeks to finish various virginia hamilton books that can't leave my class. how is that going to work?

any ideas?

hi i'm alive!

2012-01-02T01:40:00.000-06:00

i must first say i'm sorry for my lack of posting but i've been on vacation and most teacher's know that vacation means we run all those errands that we can't run during the year, we make all those appointments we can't make during the school day, etc. not to mention i decided to declutter my life at home and well i have a lot of crap. yes there i said it crap! i have been on break since december 9th but i taught three days of intersession and then my mother came to visit for a week. it was great having her! i then took a personal day and caught up on my dvr and the next thing i knew i'm going back to work in two days. i have enjoyed this long break but i think i would have enjoyed it more if i had been a tad more productive. i was very productive but i know i could have done more. i also got sick which never makes anything fun. i just wanted to let yall know where i have been and also that my blog will be undergoing a makeover so get excited!!!

i have an issue

2011-11-30T00:22:00.000-06:00

I have an issue because I have so much to type but no time to do it. I promise I will be back soon with lots of information from the NMSC. Thank you for being patient.

and i'm back

2011-11-14T01:14:00.000-06:00

well the conference was amazing! i have learned so much and i will begin on posting on things tomorrow. i had two students suspended while i was away so i'm extremely nervous to see what my classroom looks like. i heard they were loud (from my neighbor whos' deaf in one year) and i know that the sub tried to send a bunch of kids to ISS each day. He is known for doing that and well i called to check in. I am giving a vocab quiz tomorrow for my first two classes so we will see how that goes.

national middle school conference 2011

2011-11-09T00:59:00.000-06:00

it's past midnight and i'm still packing for the 2011 national middle school conference in kentucky. i can't wait!!! i was able to attend last year's conference in baltimore and loved every second of it. i learned so much and being the nerd i am have already looked up trainings i want to attend. i can't wait. we leave around 6:30 tomorrow morning which means no sleep for me tonight. i am not a morning person so i'm always afraid i'll sleep through my alarm(s). it's a problem i've had since college. anyone planning on attending this fabulous event? i know i have been mia since fall break but getting back into the swing of things after two weeks off is difficult. i loved having the break but starting school back the monday that is also halloween was insane. i am done with volleyball season but now i'm on to yearbook and that's difficult too. i have to hold my yearbook classes after school and well that's not really working for me. how does one create a yearbook once a week after school? i barely have time to plan for my other classes. i wish i could give up a planning period to do this but that is not allowed. i am also trying to get some order in to my house so that my husband and i aren't buried alive under all this clutter. don't call hoarders yet but sometimes it feels like i'm being buried alive. we have a cleaning lady who comes to visit once every other week and don't judge if you knew that cleaning wasn't your thing you'd have one too. we have budgeted for her and i won't give that one up. but with said amazing cleaning lady she tends to stuff things in places (my closet) and so every time i start a project if leticia doesn't stuff the mess (the cleaning i'm doing) somewhere my husband does which then means back to square one. i need a professional organizer but those are definitely not in the budget. okay well now that i have gotten all this off my chest i am going to put my clothes in a suitcase and finish purging some clothes! sweet dreams y'all

fall break

2011-10-19T15:54:00.000-05:00

i am on fall break and loving it! i will be on fall break for the next two weeks. two weeks you might ask? my school system decided to move towards year round schooling this year and so we started august 1 which means we get a two week fall break. i have come to visit my parents in south carolina. i haven't been here since my wedding in march and i love it here. there is nothing quite like the south! i have also spent a few days of my fall break catching up on my reading and getting some work done. i didn't bring anything to grade but i am a little behind on making lesson plans so i needed to get caught up (and move ahead) i am not behind on the lessons but i don't have everything written out the way i like it. i'm a smidge ocd and like things color coded, organized, etc. anyone else on fall break?

welcome to my classroom...

2011-10-08T22:20:00.000-05:00

This is the door to my classroom. I thought it was a nice way to show the books that we have been reading.

tis the season...

2011-10-02T02:24:00.000-05:00

tis the season of volleyball which somewhat explains my being MIA. i am the volleyball coach for my school and just to tell you how much volleyball experience i have had in my life let's discuss the rules of my team.
rule #1 - don't hit ms. l with the ball
rule #2 - seriously don't hit ms. l with the ball

we started our season two weeks early which threw me for a loop because most of my girls had yet to get their physicals for the first game. AWESOME way to start the season and what an awesome season it was. here's some of the key moments.
       i had a parent want to help coach but their child wasn't allowed on my team this year due to her not attending my school.
      i found out that i didn't have the correct coaching creditionals and had to take two more classes.
      i gained an assistant coach (which now means i have to assist with softball)
      i watched some shy girls come out of their shells
      i watched few girls play like me (scared of the ball) only to become team leaders
      we had volleyballs donated by my grandfather (which was awesome!)

we ended the volleyball season this morning at the all-city tournament and while i am very happy to have my time back i will miss the girls. after the tournament we eat lunch at mcdonalds and today while standing in line i watched a bunch of girls sitting at the tables laughing and having fun with each other not to mention a few of them getting excited for next season and those are the moments i will miss. those are the moments it's okay that most of my girls broke the number 1 rule today at the tournament and hit me with the ball four times, it's okay that i never left work until 5:30 or later all month, it's okay that i rarely saw my husband for more than an hour each night, and it's definitely okay that i have lost my voice three times this month.

i am truly blessed to love my job, to love my school, and love my students as my own and for that it's okay that i don't love volleyball, i don't love being a coach (i'm all about the fun factor not the winning factor.)

i promise to come back to blogging this month. i have lots to share and want to start showing my classroom ideas off (finally!) thanks for being patient my lovely followers!

crazy, wonderful life...

2011-08-28T08:10:00.000-05:00

we started school august 1 and haven't stopped running since. my school is very short handed which means i am now the department head for english, still volleyball coach, the only returning english teacher, member of the leadership team, yearbook advisor, and of course returning vice president of a committee i never know the name of. (great right?) let's start with my school being short handed, we lost quite a few teachers this school year due to people leaving, retiring, and the district not giving people contracts in time. (i signed my contract the FRIDAY before school started.) we had all new administration and after the first week one of our new vice principals got a fantastic job offer as a head principal so she's gone. new new vp will be starting after labor day hopefully. fingers crossed! now we're moving to volleyball, everyone's favorite topic! i have this rule that because i teach at a public school i won't cut a student (thank you remember the titans!) but it's true. i coach middle school volleyball and rule #1 is don't hit me with the ball i think i should keep as many girls as possible. with all that said that doesn't mean the other coaches don't give free, unwanted, unasked for, advice. if you want to tell me what to do then please continue coaching my team but until you have to stay late every night to help me back off. this has been happening since last year and while i would love "help" i don't love being told what i should be doing in front of the kids. come coach a practice, come be my assistant coach but don't tell me what to do in the hallway. i also dislike hearing how my volleyball girls are doing this, doing that in your class. i can only do so much as i am one person! they know the rules of being on my team (letter went out friday with a practice schedule - points for me!) i am so sick of people telling me how to do stuff because i'm young. if you know how to do it all then do it! i am not sure of some things but i know that i am an awesome teacher. how do i know this? i know this because i love my job, i spend all my spare time working, grading, planning, thinking of ideas, etc. i am at school at 8:30 most days for mornng meetings, to plan (we don't have to be there until 8:50) and leave around 6 depending on when my kids get picked up from practice, and what work i have left to do. not to mention that i will ASK for your advice when i need it, or want it. ok done sorry! apparently i have been bottling all that up for a few weeks. i think that is enough of a post for this morning. i will discuss the other stuff tomorrow. (i will be posting again shocking i know!) hope everyone is having a safe and great weekend.

in a few hours...

2011-07-31T03:56:00.000-05:00

i will once again be standing in my classroom meeting my new students. i am very excited for this upcoming school year to begin but at the same time i am not ready for the summer to end. this upcoming school year is going to be very interesting due to the following:

1. new principal (again)

2. new assistant principals

3. at least six new teachers (we are still hiring!)

4. three of the new teachers are english (my department)

5. there are five of us in our department and the other returning teacher is out

recovering from surgery.

6. i am now teaching one on grade level english class

7. i am the yearbook advisor

i am also coaching volleyball again and still recovering from foot surgery. please understand that i am not complaining just expressing my concern, excitement, and a bazillion other feelings. i have the first week planned but have to tweak a few ideas so that is what i will be doing tomorrow. i have made sure all my school clothes are ready and hanging in my closet (due to the foot surgery i only have to worry about one shoe) and spent saturday getting my hair cut, nails did, and a little pre school clothes shopping. i mean the teacher does have to look cute too right? i will also start blogging regularly since my blog is supposed to be about teaching. what are you most looking forward to as the summer ends and the school days begin?

seriously?

2011-07-21T00:26:00.000-05:00

We are starting year round school this year which means.... school starts in 10 days! I am not ready. I will write more later but I needed to share this...

An open letter to the Thunder - Jenifer Reynolds

2011-05-31T01:04:00.002-05:00

Dear Thunder:

I know by now you must be asking yourselves, what's the deal with these people in Oklahoma City? Can they not do Math? Have they not figured out the rules? Did they not notice we threw away a fourth quarter lead in two consecutive games to lose the series 4 - 1? Should we tell them, or hope they never figure it out???

The truth is we couldn’t love you any more than we do now even if you had won the title. I wanted you to know that, so you'll stop thinking you let us down.

It's odd that I would be writing this letter, since I don't even like NBA basketball, or at least I didn't before. By this time each year, my husband would be watching with the sound down because the endless squeak of basketball shoes during the interminable months of the pro season would have been driving me mad.

But not this year. Throughout the playoffs, we were stitched to the set through every game we could watch, screeching and howling like breeding cats over every basket you hit, every one you missed, every bad call, every win and every loss.

And while we would have loved for you to win the title, here's what you have to understand - we wanted it for YOU, not for us.

Why is that? Because you’ve helped us show the world who we are.

You guys never give up and we don't either. We didn't quit after the Dust Bowl or the oil busts or the Murrah Bombing or the tornadoes that plowed through the heart of our community a decade ago. We never looked up and said who's going to fix this? Who's going to bring us trailers to live in or send our kids to college? We just rolled up our sleeves and went to work.

What you see downtown - Oklahomans did that. Our leaders dreamed it up and we paid for it. That building you play in? We built that, too. The names of the big energy companies may spin around the light board inside, but it was the sweat of ten thousand roughnecks that helped put their money in the bank. We know how to work hard and we respect that ethic in others.

After April 19, 1995 people kept asking us, "Will you ever be the same?" And I always thought, "Of course not! The real question is, whether we'll be better or worse." WE decided we'd be better, and we are. In fact, sometimes when I look at all we've done since then, it's hard for me to believe - and I saw it all happen! But no matter what we do, we have a hard time convincing the rest of America we're not just a hump on the back of Texas.

You’re helping us change that, and we’d sure love it if eventually you’d beat those guys. But we’re willing to wait.

Just like you, Oklahoma is a little on the young side – the fifth youngest state in the Union. In a way, we're still trying to create our place in America and we face some pretty heavy stereotypes. We're the state (along with the Dakotas) that Rand McNally once left out of its portable atlas to save space. We're the state that gets dismissed by national sports writers and coaches as a backwater or a "small town". That backhanded dis-not-so-cleverly-disguised-as-a-compliment by Nuggets Coach George Karl who called us the “Green Bay of the NBA” is just par on our course. Actually, I really don't mind being compared to the Cheeseheads, because most people in America don’t get them either. WE do. They’re working people just like us who know how to support a team!

We're the people who set what is now called "The Oklahoma Standard" for community response to disaster. We're the people who taught the world how to grieve in a public and positive way, how to turn disaster into opportunity.

We don't always win here, but nobody cares more, tries harder, or stays truer than Oklahomans. There's something strange and special about this place, but you have to stay here for a while to understand it.

Today when somebody drove by with his Thunder flag still flying, while we were listening to Native Son Bryan White sing “Dust Bowl Dreams” about how Oklahomans “push on and persevere” I realized exactly why it is we love you guys: In some odd way that defies explanation you GET us.

You get who we are and you've been able to give us a voice in the world by the way you play, by the way you persevere. All of us Native Okies are here because somebody decided to stick it out through the bad times and keep working for better times. When we watch you play, we see those beliefs rewarded. For us, whether you win or lose really is less important than how you play the game.

And that's why the crowd was still chanting "OKC! OKC!" even as you set a dubious new NBA record for a blown lead. That's why they were waiting for you at oh-dark-30 this morning, chanting, "Thank you, Thunder!" While you may think you owe US something, we know in our hearts that we really owe YOU.

So don’t hang your heads. Just get ready for next year, because as Bryan White sings, “Quitting is something Okies just don’t do.”

Keep rolling, Thunder. We’re behind you all the way.

i've been busy...

2011-05-09T23:59:00.000-05:00

i've been super busy lately plus i've been going through a funk. i'm overwhelmed by trying to pack up our house (we're moving in 10 days ahhh!), getting through two weeks of state testing, getting my first bad review, the overwhelming amount of thank you notes to write, plus the main reason for this post the craziness that is happening at work.

my school is a fantastic school that is closing in a few years to become an elementary school. we have been told this for the past three years so who knows when this will really happen. this year we had a new principal that i really had high hopes for, and today she let me down. (that's another post soon i promise!) we have five people retiring from teaching, one of our counselors left to start a job at a another school, our tech ed guy left to take a job at the FAA, and our new principal is one of the people retiring. awesome right? to say that things are in turmoil is an understatement! we have a new principal (our assistant principal, the one that isn't retiring) but he's taken some personal time off because his wife just had a new baby. the students are out of control, the teacher's don't care, the students have spring fever, the principal isn't really there, and everyone is a bundle of nerves. i was handling most of this okay because i was so busy trying to figure out my own life but i can't handle this anymore. i have written a student up for 3 different things, the school secretary wrote him up the other day and we thought he was going home for the rest of the school year, but NO he was there today. out of dress code too! that just crushed my faith in our "amazing" principal because this student can't read, is about to go to high school but he's the principals pet, his teacher (who is a long-term sub) things he's amazing, and he's not. he's trouble with a capital T who thinks he can get away with anything and he probably can. we have 11 days left of school and i'm counting down. it's so hard to get out of bed to go to my job and i used to love this job. i still do but i'm disheartened because of the "politics" of it all, and how can you have politics in education? i know they are there but still the students shouldn't be in control.

i'm done ranting for now because i'm watching the end of the crazy okc thunder game. hope your end of days school year is going better!

State Testing

2011-04-17T22:14:00.000-05:00

state testing starts tomorrow. what does one do for a lesson when you know that you should be teaching your kids, but you know that their brains aren't working anymore. I don't have a class until 4th period which is after lunch and that's already difficult without the state testing zombies.

i should be teaching them, but my poor kids have had enough and i don't want stress them out even more. last year i made a test for the movie "remember the titans" and i think this year we're going to bring it out again. i'm even going to give them guided notes so they can watch and learn at the same time. we're doing a unit on the civil rights movement so this should go along with it. what do you think?

random tidbits of the day...

2011-04-14T23:43:00.000-05:00

my ipad is coming in the mail tomorrow!!! apparently mr.b's came today while we were at work but fed ex didn't leave the note on the door so it's a good thing i'm a bit stalkerish.

i have decided to take the math and administrator certification this summer so wish me luck!

we found a new place to live. we will sign the lease on saturday so i'll post more after that. i'm super excited.

we still have no air conditioning at school and state testing starts monday. did i mention the high today was 88 degrees? i love spring time in oklahoma.

wedding pictures are on facebook so i will post them here soon when i get time. i have been getting caught up on grading the past few days.

happy almost friday blogger friends!

it's going to take me three weeks to recover from three days off work..

2011-04-12T07:20:00.000-05:00

I had a sub last week from Wednesday to Friday due to some health issues (i'm fine) but i'm not sure my classroom is. i came back yesterday and couldn't find the kids work (i left packets for them to do!), my room was a diaster, the stage in my room was a diaster, and my desk is usually a disaster but it was worse. my students told me the sub had them read for 3 days straight. well, i came to school wed. to make sure they had work to do , i met with the sub to explain the work that needed to be done, and two of my classes are 90 minutes long so seriously you read for 3 days! State testing starts next week so i'm a little stressed, angry, and irritated. I tried to go back to work on Wednesday but wasn't allowed due to my back and the doctor telling me no work until Monday but I still feel guilty about how my kids may or may not due on the big test next week. (i'll post more on that later) I am so frustated right now that i can't even spell or type correctly (so sorry for the mispelling) plus I'm trying to type this without my glasses on which is always entertaining. before i head off to school i need to tell you the best part about this sub, he apparently kept trying to fall asleep in my class. really who can do that while there are a bunch of middle schoolers in the room? i know my kids and even when they are quiet they aren't that quiet.

happy tuesday!!!

you know you are a 7th grade english teacher when...

2011-04-04T23:11:00.000-05:00

you start to write an email, letter, text, etc and worry about spelling and grammar

you judge other people on their spelling, grammar, diction, etc.

you can't stop buying books for your classroom library (you have a pile of those books on your night stand!)

you come home from school and have regressed to being 13 again

your students make you laugh (when they aren't supposed to)

you get confused for being a middle schooler by the principal

you see the joy in your students face when they get their first A on a test, assignment, etc.

you have to tell two students they can't sit together because they are dating

you have to take away scissor privileges because your children can't sit still

you go to work everyday knowing that today will be different than yesterday

you go to work knowing that one kid will find a book they love, understand a homework assignment or sit still

you love watching your students change from little kids to teenagers and back to little kids all within one class period

i want

2011-04-03T00:05:00.000-05:00

i want to be able to speak out on education issues without having to fear losing my job!

i want to be able to change the world

i want to be more social

i want to find a home not just a house/apartment whatever

i want to get myself out of debt

i want to know where i will be in one year both career and living

i want to know where i'll be in one month with both career and living arrangements

i want my papers to grade themselves

i want to stop feeling so negative nelly

First Dance...

2011-03-31T07:52:00.001-05:00

sneak peek...

2011-03-25T01:32:00.000-05:00

I'm back..

2011-03-19T23:19:00.000-05:00

I am back from the most amazing honeymoon and wedding ever!

Details to follow!

this time next week!

2011-03-05T21:31:00.001-06:00

This time next week I will be married!!!!!

This doesn't even tell you the half of it...

2011-03-04T05:04:00.000-06:00

Spring Fever?

This happened at my school...

Just call me Ms. Cranky-Pants

2011-02-22T16:23:00.000-06:00

I apologize now for the ranting that is about to occur but it's my blog and I can rant if I want to. :) I am getting married in 18 days and am sick! I have managed to stay relatively healthy this year and now I get sick. Bull I tell you bull. I am also sick to my stomach with the thought of what my students are going to have to go through next year in a building that is being redone with asbestos, and who knows what else. I don't know what to do to fix this. All anyone cares about is test scores but let's look at this if you know your school is closing would you care if you passed a test? seriously? I also just got off the phone with a collection agency which I called them. I have a fantastic accountant (said with great sarcasm) and so I owe the government some money. I have been trying to call the IRS to talk to them but they close at 4:30 and well I'm still at work then so I nicely call the collection agency to set up a payment (teacher so I'm poor) and she treats me like I'm a moron. I have a MASTERS degree I am not a moron. I get really irritated when people treat me like I'm a moron. Seriously (this part is going to be mean so forgive me) but I bet I have more education than she does. I asked to speak to someone other than her because I didn't feel like I could work with her and her response is well "you can ask but you will still work with me" which i responded so grown up and all "i can ask" we played this game for like 2 minutes but it felt like 20. I just shared quite a bit but I'm fed up with rude people. So do me a favor 10 blog friends, smile and be nice to people because their day might be yuckier than yours. Also pray I get better, I have been off work for the past five days (including the weekend) and well I feel a little better but I need to feel 110% because on Saturday I am going for my final dress fitting in Dallas. :)

Thanks for letting ms. cranky pants rant ...

where is the snow?

2011-02-08T23:40:00.000-06:00

snow day tomorrow! is it wrong to say that i'm not excited about this snow day? we had four snow days last week (but i was in atlanta working) and i don't want to go back to longer days. so snow day hurry up and go away. :)

What I want to be...

2011-02-04T12:40:00.000-06:00

I want to be one of those teachers that inspires my kids to do better in life.

I want to be one of those teachers who changes the way that students are treated.

I want to be one of those teachers that changes the way teachers are treated.

I want to be one of those teachers that changes the way the education system is run in the United States.

I want to be one of those teachers who doesn't lose her ideals just because I've been shot down one too many times.

I want to be one of those teachers who still loves my job after 15 years.

I want to be one of those teachers who says it's okay to have a bad day but don't take it out on the kids.

I want to be one of those teachers who in 15 years still thinks my children are hilarious.

I also want to be one of those teachers who still calls my classroom kids my kids.

What kind of teacher do you want to be?

Day 4

2011-02-03T23:09:00.001-06:00

Day 4 of no school but I've been in Atlanta since yesterday for training. Can I have a redo of my snow days?

Meet the Teacher

2011-02-02T00:47:00.001-06:00

I love blogging (even if I'm not great at updating my blog!) I also love reading other people's blogs especially other teachers which is why I'm joining up with the latest "Meet the Teacher" and sharing some details about myself.

Let's start with the basics, shall we? I am a 7th grade English/Reading teacher in Oklahoma and I LOVE my job. I moved to Oklahoma in August 2009 for my job and met my fiance thanks to my fabulous cousin (and maid of honor) and we will be getting married in 40 days. I went to the University of Oklahoma where I received a Bachelors of Arts in Communications and a minor in History (best six years ever!) I am an avid college football fan (Boomer Sooner!) but am marrying an avid Longhorn fan so football season is fun at our house.

{...Q & A...}

Q: What would you be doing if you weren't teaching?

A: I would be working on Education Reform somewhere.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: Teaching, reading, shopping, watching bad tv, reading

Q: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A: A teacher, it's all I've ever wanted to be.

Q: What are your guilty pleasures?

A: Coca Cola, bad tv (Jerseylicious , Hoarders, 90210), shoe shopping, book shopping,

Q: What are your biggest fears?

A: I am scared of what is going to happen to my students when our school closes in two years. I am scared of the unknown and almost everything in life but I try not to let it stop me.

Q: When you're on vacation, where do you like to go?

A: South Carolina to visit my parents, Houston to visit my in-laws, Florida and like every good Southern girl I love Charleston.

Q: What's the best adviced you ever received?

A: Don't quit!

Q: What do you value most in others?

A: Manners - I think the world is a much better place when people are polite. I also think that being real and not fake are extremely important.

Q: If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass on to your children, what would it be?

A: My need for learning. I love learning new things.

Q: If you could have lunch with anyone - living or dead - who would it be?

A: My grandmother to tell her what is going on in my life. I moved back to Oklahoma to be near her and she passed away right after I received my job.

Q: Now, tell us one thing about yourself:

A: I was born in a small town in Oklahoma (population 7,000) and moved to Atlanta when I was ten and then moved to South Carolina when I was seventeen but consider myself a true southerner. I am also a 3rd generation Sooner and love that I have memories of going to football games with my grandfather, parents, cousins, etc.

I hope yall enjoyed learning about me!

The First Grade Parade

Sunday

2011-01-30T11:29:00.000-06:00

Yesterday it was 77 degrees and today we're waiting for a winter storm, seriously? Good thing I have plenty of grading to do, lesson plans to make, and of course that large pile of laundry that never seems to go away. What are your Sunday plans?

how do i?

2011-01-25T00:55:00.000-06:00

i admit that i hate using capital letters, correct grammar, love run on sentences and I might be obsessed with the word yall but i am an English teacher and with that comes responsibility. What is this responsibility you might ask... I am teaching the future leaders how to spell, write, read, and all that other fun stuff and let me tell you sometimes I think I rock, sometimes I think i suck. I am trying to get my students to write a memoir but it's not going very well. I understand that my kids are only in the 7th grade but most of them came to America only a few years ago so hello there has to be some memory of something right? NOPE! All I hear is "I don't have memories" "I don't remember anything" "I don't ever do anything" I am sending this blog message out to my 14 readers and asking for help hence the title How Do I get my students to write a memoir? I am not asking for a fifteen page memoir I am asking for a few paragraphs so that my students will have something to read in a few weeks when they go tutoring. (I'll explain the tutoring later)

Does anyone know what I can do to jumpstart the writing?

Interesting...

2011-01-23T20:59:00.000-06:00

I am going to begin this post with my life story, ready? I was born in small town Oklahoma where I lived until I was 10 and then we moved to Atlanta, Georgia where I lived until I was 16 and we moved to Greenville, South Carolina for two years of high school. I left Greenville for 7 years in Norman only to move back to Greenville so that I could go figure out my life. I did figure out my life by attending and graduating from Clemson University's Masters program but I had few friends there, I was content and ready to be a loner until I found a job in Oklahoma and here I am! With all those moves I have managed to collect friends here and there not to mention every summer spent at camp in Wisconsin, so I have friends almost everywhere. I have been thinking about the friends that I want to keep making the effort with and those that I want to cut out of my life. I feel bad about that but it's very difficult to feel like you are doing all the work, or even you are being ignored because their life is too busy (I hate being ignored.) I understand we are all becoming grown ups so with that comes some tough decisions. Hopsy at Kappa Prep just wrote a similiar post and I want to share it because I like her ideas 3 AM friends . Do you think this is too harsh? What would you do?

quick trip...

2011-01-14T07:27:00.000-06:00

Today I am going to Dallas for about 8 hours to try on my wedding dress! My mother is meeting me there, and then we come back to Oklahoma for my first (and only?) wedding shower. I am very excited to try on my dress especially since I haven't seen it since May. :)

2011

2011-01-01T22:03:00.000-06:00

This is the year that...

I become REALLY organized...

start getting out more, I'm a huge homebody and am poor so therefore we don't get out much.

I get married to the man that I love.. (and apparently become that cheesy lady)

What are you doing this year?

Wedding Stuff...

2010-12-28T08:52:00.000-06:00

This is the dress for my bridesmaid luncheon, at least that's the plan for now.

This is my rehearsal dinner dress (no it's not that short on me!)

I will be wearing the following shoes

I am getting very excited for my wedding now that things are coming together. Today I have my hair practice appointment and I can't wait.

change is a good thing right?

2010-12-19T20:33:00.000-06:00

Well, I am home and it's wonderful! I haven't had time to fully comprehend the fact that tomorrow is the beginning of two weeks off but have no fear I will enjoy every second of it. I know this blog is supposed to be about education, but for the next few weeks I might be sharing some wedding information. I am meeting with the wedding planner on Tuesday and will be able to FINALLY know what's going on with my wedding. How do I not know what's going on you might ask, various reasons but the main reason is that I haven't had to and I kind of like it. I am not stressed, because I feel like if I knew what wasn't being done, and what was being done I would be freaking out, so until I start freaking out enjoy the wedding tidbits. I will also be sharing my need for a change in the education system (yes I'll be preaching!) and I think I am actually going to start using my blog for educational matters too. Heavens forbid I actually use my blog for what it's supposed to be used for. :) I still stand by my decision not to have correct grammar, or punctuation because well I teach grammar and I still dislike capitalization along with I would spend too much time worrying about using the correct words, and if this comma fits here, etc. Now that I'm done explaining what's going to happen with the blog, I am also going to share something that is going to freak you out! (not really but let me build up some suspense...) This summer there was a teacher must haves topic that Babbling Abby started and one of mine was coca cola, well I have quit coca cola. I had one tonight at dinner but I am actively trying to stay off of it until the wedding. I usually had one a day, but am trying to drink water more, well drink anything more. I hope everyone has a good monday off (well my teacher friends anyway...)

Tomorrow, Tomorrow!!!!

2010-12-17T01:02:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow starts winter break and I need it!

5 days...

2010-12-13T06:14:00.000-06:00

Dear fellow teachers,
Good luck with the last five days before winter break!

Ms. L

monday monday

2010-12-06T22:17:00.000-06:00

Do you ever feel like you aren't doing enough at your job? Recently I have felt that way. I feel like I should be doing more for my kids but what is there to do? With that being said it's nine days before winter break, can you say CRAZY? My children were crazy today so let's hope tomorrow brings less craziness? If not I might run away looking like this...

I want to change the world...

2010-12-04T01:29:00.000-06:00

I love my job! I love my students! My students come to school without jackets because they don't have one, and I wish I could buy each and everyone of them a jacket. We also have a Christmas store at school where the kids "buy" presents for their families, last year one of my students told me she couldn't buy me a present but instead wrote me the most beautiful letter promising to graduate from 8th grade and High School. Her family is very involved in gangs, and at the time she was a 7th grader trying to get moved up to 8th grade (which she did!) I haven't seen her since she went to high school but she will always hold a special place in my heart. What is the purpose of this post? I am trying to decide if I can give my students a small present, but what can I do? I need some ideas! I have about 75 students but what does a school teacher do? I can bake for them but I am not exactly the best baker in the world, I will throw them a party but I want to make them feel special. Is this wrong? Is this crossing a line? Am I too involved? Probably but I think that's what makes me a better teacher the fact that I truly care about my students and if they do well in school and in life. That being said I also want to change our school, it's falling apart and they refuse to do anything about it because in a few years (months, weeks, who knows?) it will be remodeled with state money and turned into an elementary school. My school has been around since the 1930's and is so neat. (yes I said neat!) It's also been around the neighborhood for so long that some of my students parents, and grandparents went to the school. They also don't need anymore elementary schools, we need more middle schools but the elementary school is falling down too. This is why I haven't been able to write lately because I've been wanting to save the world and not knowing how upsets me. That being said I hope my Jewish readers are having a very Happy Chanukkah, I know I am...

Hello Again!

2010-11-21T18:56:00.000-06:00

Dear 12 Followers,
I am sorry that it has taken me so long to post but life is BUSY! Not to mention everytime I start to post something it become this angry, angry, rant about the lack of funding for school, trying to make ends meet, and well feeling not super cute. My school is still not getting the money, attention, etc it needs and I am getting frustrated! There was a recent article about a local magnet school and how other schools in the district should be like Classen (well HELLO if all schools could pick and choose their kids then we'd all be alike!) Our library is no longer under water (aka sewage) but is still closed. They ripped up the carpeting and are putting in tile or staining the concrete, but apparently they got busy because they stopped and everything is in the halls minus the books. Those are locked in the library! I went to the National Middle School Conference a few weeks ago and it was AMAZING. I loved it! I went 11 people from work, and well the Conference was just fantastic. I learned quite a bit, got to know some people I work with, and got a bunch of free stuff for my class! ha ha... I will blog later about a few things I learned but it's Sunday which means I need to finish my lessons for this two day week.

Where I have been!

2010-11-07T20:47:00.002-06:00

http://www.nmsa.org/annual/

This is what my school looks like...

2010-10-31T23:40:00.000-05:00

This isn't water....

umm...

2010-10-29T07:09:00.000-05:00

Today is the Friday before Halloween... we are Iowa Testing... the kids can be out of dress code...

That is how I will be by 7th period today!! I hope everyone has a Happy Friday!

Top 5 Reasons I love being a teacher!

2010-10-21T01:05:00.000-05:00

5. Fall Break
4. Winter Break
3. Thanksgiving Break
2. Spring Break
1. Summer Break

I love my job! We are on fall break so I will be busy with grading and grading but also spending time with my parents! See you on Sunday!

HELP!

2010-10-14T00:26:00.000-05:00

Dear 12 friends,

I am back! I wish I could say that I was off traveling the world or busy with some exciting stories but I was busy with volleyball, work, and more work. I had volleyball all last week and for a girl who never really played sports after the 4th grade this has been interesting. I haven't been able to get home from work until after 6:00 and that's no fun! Tucker isn't sure who his mommy is but as I type this he's crawling all over me so I'm pretty sure he's learning. I have been busy trying new things at work and well they aren't working very well but I am going to keep trying. I hate having to move so fast but it's what I am supposed to do so I will keep on trucking. I have to start tutoring my students too but I can't decide the best way to do that. Do you have any ideas? I have to to tutor 10 students but I don't want more than 2 students at a time because then I can't help them the way I want to. I tutored 4 kids today after school and I won't lie I am not quite sure I was helpful but I sure did try. Do you ever feel that you aren't helping? I don't know how to help these kids and I want to help them but how? I am at school early, I stay late but my lessons aren't the best and I need to know how to make science information interesting. Our new ACT program is BORING! I am teaching my students about science but I know NOTHING about it. My kids actually revolted on Monday and wanted to know why they were learning about science when I was supposed to be teaching them English. The funny thing was that we had spent our Monday morning meeting discussing that we had to keep the kids enthusiastic and interested but how do I do that when I don't understand what is going on. I hate not knowing! What do you think?

Things I am

2010-10-04T00:53:00.000-05:00

I promised to follow up the things I am not with the things I am post and well here it is.

I am the most organized, messy person you will ever meet. Even I can't explain that!
I am best friends with my mom.
I am daddy's little girl and doubt that will ever change.
I am learning how to live with a boy.
I am learning how to share and not take over all the space.
I am a lover of books, books, and more books.
I love shopping!
I love teaching.
I am getting married in less than 5 months.
I am proud to say that I am Jewish.
I am proud to say that I worked hard to achieve my goals.
I am the world's worst sleeper.
I am sad that certain friends have left my life.
I am sad that certain friends won't leave my life.
I am sad that certain friends have left without saying goodbye.
I am sad that my grandmother who was my best friend isn't here to see her baby get married.
I am sad that nanny never got to meet David because she would truly love him.
I am sad that people give unwanted advice because they think it's okay.
I am sad that there are evil people out there in the world.
I am not a reader of the news for the above reason.
I am learning how to become a better listener.
I am a lover of my family.
I am always cold.

I will be gone for most of the week due to volleyball! It is our last week, and we have games Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday all away. Awesome! Did I mention we won our first volleyball game last week? I couldn't have been more proud of my girls because they finally started to work together as a team. I feel somewhat bad that they have to run tomorrow at practice because they weren't too good at calling the ball or as I call it "using their words".

12 followers what's new with you? Teachers how is your school year going?

Uh oh!

2010-09-30T23:12:00.000-05:00

It's OU/Texas this weekend and well I live with a Texan. I am related to many a Longhorn fans, and my best friend is even one but to marry one? When David first met my grandfather I said "Boppie this is David, he likes Texas!" To which I got a look from David that said "thanks for throwing me under the bus like that!" I haven't stopped since :) I have tons to report about school but the BEST thing that has happened this week is that my girls volleyball team won their first game tonight. I could not have been more proud, excited, happy, etc for these girls. I was thrown into coaching but truly love it and love my girls.

I will leave you with this photo of what my house truly is

Things I am not...

2010-09-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

I am not a good blogger
I am not a lover of mornings
I am not caught up on anything in my life
I am not organized at school (and it's driving me nuts)
I am not organized at home (and it's driving David nuts)
I am not home before 6 most nights
I am not a quitter
I am not a nice person if you anger me
I am not a petty person
I am not a fan of drama (but I do LOVE to say baby mama drama for no reason)
I am not a serious person
I am not a saint
I am not a fan of being told no
I am not a fan of not getting my way
I am not a fan of petty people
I am not a fan of rude people

I haven't been able to blog lately for various reasons the biggest being time which I have been lacking a great deal of! The other being I haven't been in a good mental place lately and I didn't think it was fair for my 12 readers to have to read some negative nelly posts so I decided to refrain but then I remembered part of the reason I blog is to share my feelings. I am happy to have readers, but I am happy to have a place to vent my frustrations from the hour,day,week, month or whatever! With all that being said I am back with a vengence. I have finally gotten my much needed school supplies for my classroom, along with being less scared of volleyball coaching and am slowly learning to juggle my crazy life. I will be back tomorrow to share the things that I am.

quick quick

2010-09-09T23:32:00.000-05:00

I haven't written in a while because things have been absolutely, positively nuts around here! I started coaching volleyball which means I am not home until almost 6 every night, plus I do morning scanning duty so I'm at work by 8:30 (when you are normally at school by 8:50 it messes with you!) Yes I am blessed to have a later start time. Trust me I know! My personal life is a mess right now too, and I just haven't felt like writing because I feel like I'm just one big negative nancy. I promise to start writing again after this weekend but until then have a fantastic Friday and BOOMER SOONER!

school 20 - ms.l - 15

2010-08-31T23:16:00.000-05:00

I have been in school for almost two weeks and have yet to receive my MUCH needed materials! I am teaching two 90 minute, reading intensive classes and the reading intensive items haven't shown up yet. I love public schools. I have found a few ways around this issue by letting my students start their new routines, and read their own books (which is allowed!) and then later on we practice reading together while I read Frindle to the class. It was one of the few class sets our library had that wasn't super duper long. I hate being unprepared and am so stressed out. If being unprepared isn't horrible yesterday the ac in my classroom broke! I teach in Oklahoma people, we are having a major heatwave (oh wait normal August weather) and my classroom today was almost 90 degrees. I am one of 9 teachers in my building with no ac and while I know that schools haven't always had air, blah blah blah I want my air back! It is miserable trying to teach while you are melting, and they are miserable. I have three fans going but I have a HUGE room so that's not working. Speaking of things not working apparently my brain wasn't when I decided to become the new girls volleyball coach. Do I play? Do I have cordination? Do I know what the heck I'm doing? NO NO NO! (I'm not even certified yet!) We had our first game tonight and it was cancelled due one of our generators at school being hit by lightening.

I am sure that this post has typo's galore and unfinished thougths but I am so tired I can't think and I figured it was time to share with the world again. I hope everything is going well in your life!

Ten things even I can't believe

2010-08-24T22:54:00.000-05:00

1. I am teaching 3 classes this semester! 2 are 90 minutes, 1 is 45 minutes long.
2. My largest class has 23 my smallest class has 13.
3. I had a student last year who asked to go to the restroom and never came back. I have him again!
4. I have NO materials for my 90 minute classes so the first day they spent staring at me for 20 minutes.
5. I am the new volleyball coach.
6. I am 5'2, clumsy, and broke 4 bones before I was 11.
7. I have one of the largest classrooms in the building.
8. Last year I was back in the corner by myself, this year I have neighbors.
9. My students think I am mean.
10. I love that my kids think I'm mean!

I will post more soon, but I haven't had five seconds to breath lately.

Silent Sunday

2010-08-16T00:12:00.001-05:00

Creative Classroom - Belated (Of course!)

2010-08-15T10:38:00.000-05:00

In the past week I was given a classroom four times the size of my old one, given four new books to read before school starts (teacher manuals but it sounds cooler if I say books) and have been babysitting my younger cousins since Thursday night. Needless to say I've been swamped with work, and exhausted at the end of the night but I have enjoyed reading the other blogs so I wanted to share so hopefully my ideas will help you too!

When I was student teaching I had some students who really got into the activities (South Carolina history!) or just talked quite a bit so I started giving most of the students sticky notes. On the sticky notes they were allowed to write questions, comments, notes, things they had wanted to blurt out but weren't allowed. It surprisingly worked quite well, if I didn't have the sticky notes on the kids desk by the beginning of class they asked for them. You go through quite a few sticky notes but being able to get through power points without the same three kids answering made it worth it.

I also use file folders for almost everything! At the end of the school year we were working on CRT (our big "what do the kids know" test) review. We had daily power points which meant daily review too. I put all ten of the worksheets in the order I wanted, labeled them so the students knew in which order to do them, stapled five sheets to each side and said start working. It went extremely well! When students had questions I could stop the entire class and say flip to worksheet #3 and everyone knew which worksheet to look at. I lucked out on the cost because my aunt's friend donated six boxes of file folders to me. I also used them to keep the reading logs, writing tips, group assignments, etc. This way all their work was in one place and they were responsbile for it. The folders never left the room which helped too!

The last "tip" I'm giving is that I number everything! I teach seventh grade and this past year I barely had a class set of most of the books needed, so I started labeling them with numbers. When going through reading I would call out a number and that person would read, answer the question, etc. I made them responsible for their desks, workbooks, and this way if the workbook was damaged I knew which five students to start with.

Hopefully these will help!!!

Teacher - Must Haves

2010-08-11T23:47:00.000-05:00

Hello my name is Ms. L and I am addicted to coca cola! My students know that if they think about touching my coke they are in trouble! (They also know if I come in without a coke, it could be a rough morning.) I usually drink the same one all day, but occasionaly on the "rough" days I have two.

I still remember my 2nd grade teacher and her skinny smelly markers that she used to grade our papers, and well when I became a teacher that was one of my first purchases! I feel very teacherly when I use them.

I also can't live without the big, thick, sharpie markers! I didn't have a working white board, or chalkboard for most of the school year but I did have those giant pieces post it papers. In order for my students to see the words, I used bright fun colors on the paper. I liked using those because you can stick them up on the wall and refer to the words, information on them later on.

Post-its are a teacher's best friend! If you disagree with me then you're crazy. We have a reading program at my school and instead of giving my kids bookmarks which they lose, I give them stickies so they can write their pages down on it. I also find them useful to write notes on projects, and passes.

I have a HORRIBLE school laptop. Half the time the internet doesn't work, if it does it tells me that the school website and the county website are blocked websites and it doesn't let me download my fun fonts I have so I use my Mac instead. I do feel weird bringing my Mac to school but as I like to remind my students "Neither one of us can afford to replace the laptop so move away" it seems to work. Along with my laptop I use a remote for my power point presentations. It makes it easier to walk around the room, and not have to have students fighting over who gets to click to the next page. (I teach middle school and I still have those issues!)

I could not have survived this past year if it hadn't have been for my teacher friends. At the beginning of the year we had two new teachers, and eventually we had a total of four. On my first day of school I was in my room, which was in the back of the building, with holes in the floor and the previous teacher had moved out because the heat didn't work well in the winter. Two veteran teachers walked into my room and asked me what they could do to help me succeed at Jackson. While I didn't need help at that point just knowing that people wanted me to succeed helped.

I feel like there are many other must haves but it's late, and I've been busy trying to get my school stuff organized so I can take it to my new classroom tomorrow. I had to move almost everything home since I wasn't sure if I would have a job this upcoming year. I love books but after lugging them back to school I am not sure how I feel this week about them.

Teacher Week - Day 1 (belated!)

2010-08-11T08:31:00.001-05:00

Babbling Abby is having "Teacher Week" at her blog and it looks fun so I'm jumping on the bandwagon a tad late but still jumping!

10 Things About Me As A Teacher.

1. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was a small child. Like most small children I made my friends play school with me, and couldn't wait to get my very own classroom.

2. I had a tough time becoming a teacher but it was worth the hard work! I was originally an elementary education major at the fantastic University of Oklahoma but was discouraged after a few classes with a horrible professor. The last straw of me leaving the College of Education was when my professor wrote in my portfolio that I "wouldn't make a good teacher" after I had spent the summer in South Carolina being a teacher's aide and being asked to transfer schools (by my principal!) It took me a few years to figure out that I could teach no matter what people said and now have a Masters in Middle School Education (English & History).

3. Like most states Oklahoma "released" quite a few non-returning contracts aka new teachers. I was lucky enough not to be one of those teachers but I didn't find any of this out until early July. I also didn't get the email to sign my contract until yesterday!

4. I am about to embark on a HUGE challenge in my classroom and I can't wait. I am implementing a program called "Ramp-Up" that is 90 minutes of instruction with a GIANT emphasis on reading books. I love reading and I love sharing my love of reading. I also love that I have a reason to be surrounded by books all day. (nerd alert nerd alert)

5. I am an English teacher but hate capitalization, and grammar.

6. I have noticed that in my head (for the most part) I correct people on the way they speak.

7. I fight everyday to keep the word "ain't" out of my classroom, but can't seem to rid the word "yall" from mine.

8. I have a ball at work! Even on the toughest day I can usually still find something to laugh about, see a students eyes light up when they get something.

9. I truly despise teachers who are just there for the paycheck! If you want a paycheck for doing nothing retire. We are not babysitters and you pretending to be one gives the rest of us a bad name.

10. I recently got mistaken for a student in the hallway by my former principal, so when I arrived at school this year to pick up a few things my colleagues introduced me to the new principal and assistant principal so they would know I'm not a middle school student but a teacher.

I could go on and on about things but I feel like these are the most important to me right now! (Number 1 is just funny!)

Still alive...

2010-08-09T06:35:00.000-05:00

I am still here just busy with pre-school stuff will post later!

Ms. L

2010-08-03T02:09:00.002-05:00

I am home from New York and will post about those adventures tomorrow (or the next day!) Today I went to visit my school because while I was away I got a letter telling me when to come back, and that my classroom had been moved (again!) I have been moved away from my back hallway (thank goodness) to the A hall. What does that mean? It means I'm near 8th grade teachers and 6th grade teachers but not really any 7th grade teachers. Is it wrong that I kind of like that? I also met our new principal and asst. principal today. Our new principal seems like she will be tough, but fair. When I introduced myself she said "Oh you're the one that called this summer, and was nervous about her job. I also heard you're a pretty good teacher" I like the last part but am not sure how I feel about the beginning as I told her I love my job and wanted to make sure I got to keep it.

I can't sleep tonight so I started doing some crafty stuff to make my classroom more me! My last year's class took me quite a while to get it organized, bright, etc. so this year I will start off right. I am dropping by school tomorrow to start moving some stuff out of my old class and into my new one, then I will slowly start decorating it again. The best part of the new classroom is that I have NEW desks. My previous desks were so horrible that even students drawing on them didn't help. I I will take plenty of before and after photos. I also just found out that I might not be teaching the program that I had training in, I am very mixed about this. I will know more on Wednesday so I'll update yall then too!

Two more weeks until school!!!

New York! New York! (and the return of silent sunday!)

2010-07-25T21:48:00.001-05:00

new rants and raves

2010-07-22T07:51:00.002-05:00

I am so excited to have been given my job back but WHERE is my contract? I hate waiting and I feel like I've done enough waiting. I want to get started on my lesson plans so that I am not far behind like I was last year.

I need clean house to come to my house! I try so hard to get things organized and end up making a bigger mess or needing something that we can't afford right now. Which leads me to my next rant and that is I hate being poor. I know most of you are thinking poor you have a roof over your head, food, etc. but I have a fantastic full time job and I need to take another one so that I can pay my bills, AND have some fun money. My second job isn't going as planned so I think that it is time to retire from babysitting. I have been babysitting since I was 11 years old and my VERY first babysitting gig the "baby" has graduated college and has a big girl job. (I'm very proud of my cousin!)

I also wish I had been able to get more done with the wedding planning while I was home this summer. I feel so behind and so out of the loop because I have NO clue what's going on! My best friend is home in Savannah and in three days she has gotten her dress, her fiances tux, bridesmaids dresses, cake, etc! I am so jealous so that she has been able to get all this done. I like my wedding planner but seriously I need to know what the heck is going on. I don't even have a location for my wedding, well no contract has been signed! Grr!!!

I am spending the morning cleaning up this house, and trying to get my school supplies organized for next year. I have a junior league social event tonight but honestly I don't know if I'll be able to attend because sadly I can't really afford the drinks, and entrace fee this week. See, being poor sucks! I have to be very frugal right now because as a teacher during the summer months we don't make as much as usually!

Thanks for letting me rant (and give a few raves!)

Hello

2010-07-20T10:50:00.002-05:00

I was recently awarded my first blog award and I am working on it, but everytime I try to write something I can't get the words out. It's not even that serious but apparently I have stage fright via the Internet? I spent the past week and a half catching up on life in OKC, and trying to get my home back in order. I am working right now on getting my closet organized the way I want it. I have to have it color coded and certain items separated, etc. (Little crazy about my closet!) My shoes look beautiful in their boxes and I will show that when everything is done. Anyone else have closet issues? Aside from you Nat and your lack of!

I have also spent the past weekend with David's family in Houston and it was a ball! I love his family and I can't wait until they are mine too (although I claim them now! :) )

I have to get back to the piles of laundry and organization so that I can get out of this house today!

FINALLY!

2010-07-07T19:30:00.001-05:00

Today I got the news about my job and the email went like this.

Dear Ms. Levy,
You have been retained for another year in your current position.
Thanks,
Principal X.

I am going to guess I have the job!!! :)

Happy 4th!

2010-07-04T17:40:00.003-05:00

I spent 9 summers at Camp Birch Trail for Girls in Minong, WI and I haven't been back since 2004 but there is still something about the 4th that takes me back to camp! Our 4th of July started off being woken up by the oldest girls at camp banging, and yelling happy 4th and then we moved to the flag pole. We had red,white,and blue waffles (strawberries, blueberries, whip cream) and then the BEST part of the day the icing fight. You were supposed to decorate your cake but somehow most of the icing ended up on us. We also would have a dance party through the lodge, on to the airstrip, it was such a happy carefree place. It's all girls and it's the place that I can honestly say taught me how to stand up for myself. That's how I got my independence how did you get yours?

Happy 4th of July!

Friday Finds

2010-07-02T08:19:00.005-05:00

I just received my stella & dot products that I ordered from one of my sorority sisters at our annual convention and I'm in LOVE! They are adorable pieces of jewelry that are packaged in the cutest boxes. (Important I know!) The best part is I ordered these Saturday and received them yesterday. There is a sale going on from July2-July 9 allowing you an extra 20% off sale prices so browse to your hearts content. (Disclaimer I believe the 20% is taken when you checkout!)

http://www.stelladot.com/sites/jenniferherbert

I also just found the following website and I'm pretty sure I'm in love! I haven't ordered anything just browsed but it's like shoe heaven and that's good enough for me!

http://www.6pm.com/

My week in vowels...

2010-07-01T17:10:00.003-05:00

I am following Caroline's lead from sweeeeetcaroline.blogspot.com and giving you an update using vowels...

A - The Awesome time I had at the 74th Gamma Phi Beta Covention..

E - Exercising has paid off so far and I've lost 5 lbs since June 1. Woot Woot!!!! Only 15 more pounds to go...

I - I miss my fiance but get to see him one week from today... (Family trip in Ft. Lauderdale!)

O- Oklahoma where I am hopefully still employed and will be back soon..

U - Thanks for reading my blog! All 12 followers of you!!

Can you giving a mini update using vowels? I think I might use this as a getting to know you tool for the beginning of the school year. ha ha such a teacher!

Gamma Phi Convention 2010 - Disney

2010-06-27T23:05:00.004-05:00

I was here all week with a bunch of these

but feel like

fat kid ramblings

2010-06-20T23:42:00.001-05:00

i hate dieting! i hate it! i enjoy the working out a tad bit more but i feel so judged and watched when people know you are dieting. i'm on weight watchers which is supposed to help make life long changes but seriously people are judging/watching if you eat that piece of cake. (not that i have yet but i'm just saying) i think part of it is the fact that i'm living at home right now and i know that i don't eat great but guess what, i'm improving and i'm getting off my butt and excercising twice a week. so all you judgers back off!

ramblings of me...

2010-06-17T22:12:00.002-05:00

i am bored! i have been reading constantly which isn't bad but i'm running out of books here people! (negative to being a speed reader) i am going to the pool tomorrow with some friends from graduate school so that will be fun and then on tuesday i am going to disney for a week of sorority fun. i have already started packing for that trip and then tomorrow will run to the mall to find the last minute items i need. (we have to wear business attire and well i didn't bring anything home really!) a bonus to that though is that my pants that i have left over from my accounting firm hell days fit me! score one for the hellish diet. it's not really hellish but i can't count the points, my mother is hovering, and well this is an odd one i don't eat enough of my points. i'm not a huge snacker, i'm not a huge eater just a poor food choice maker and lazy. combine those too and you get pudgy me. i am not allowed to call myself fat so pudgy is the new word. i would mind but i've seen the pictures of myself in my wedding dress (sorry can't share yet!) and i need to fix my arms and belly. i am working on that with a trainer that i can't afford but have to go see twice a week, jillian's 30 day shred, and weight watchers. wish me luck that one of those work for me! anyone reading anything amazing right now? i have read about six books in three days and well i only shop at used bookstores now so i'm not quite sure what's out there. i went today to trade in some books at the used bookstore here in south carolina (if you have a half price books near you run there!) and could have received $4 in cash and $10 in book credit or $18 in credit so I chose the credit since i'm reading so much. smart choice i think since i left with quite a few new books (well used new books!) i have also filled out my lesson plan book and by fill out i mean put the dates on the pages but am nervous about doing that because what if i jinx myself? i did it anyway because i have nothing else to do, i tried to update my calendar and of course starting watching a horrible/amazing show called jerseylicious. it's on style and i can't stop myself. that season is over so now i have to find some new crappy show to watch while i wait for the wedding planner to get her plans together. we get those next week when i come home from convention and hopefully everything is going to be great! i am leaving on a family trip to florida to celebrate fiance's 30th and spend time with my dad's brothers, their kids, and grams. which in my family means the ladies will do one thing, the beach goers will do another, and we will all meet up for dinners. i love jewish families! my mom and i already have places we want to go shopping. we also agree that the nordstroms in boca is amazing! if you can go visit!

i am sorry this is a random, all over the place post but i don't do anything and i'm bored but i feel like i should at least share a little of what i'm doing!

things to know

2010-06-14T23:10:00.002-05:00

i am going to disney land in a few weeks for my sorority convention and i can't wait! i have no plans to actually visit the park but i love the fact that i get to spend time with friends and make some new ones.

i am also very excited because today i weighed in for the first time at weight watchers and lost a pound and a half. considering i'm not the best at following diets i'm proud!

i'm also very excited that i found a pair of donald pliner shoes at the nearly new for 25 bucks.

i am very upset that i feel like my gorgeous bridesmaid dress has caused strive with some of my bridesmaid. it's an expensive dress but i haven't been able to find anything even remotely beautiful. i want to tell my bridesmaids if they can't afford the dress and don't want to pay for then they can back out but i love them all and know it's super duper rude to do that.

i am sad that one of my very best friends is only getting to visit for 12 hrs this weekend (but i'll take what i can get)

i have read six books in the past week and a half and tried to blog about the books but i suck at that!

i wish i that knew about my job already because i would love to start planning.

i wish i was there to help daibid with the flooding that is going on in our house right now. i miss him and the puppy sooo very much.

i hope that i will be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning to go to the 6 am spin class! ahhh!!!

anything you wish, hope, or are excited/sad about?

silent sunday has returned - the bridesmaid dress

2010-06-13T19:34:00.001-05:00

change of pace...

2010-06-10T09:28:00.002-05:00

I have been talking about my job, or lack of job lately and now I want to share the other news in my life. I have come home to spend the summer getting the bulk of my wedding planning out of the way, and I'm very happy to share that the wedding plans are coming along beautifully. I can happily cross off finding a dress, finding bridesmaid dresses, and finding a venue for the reception. We are 95% sure that we have a place for the actual wedding but I don't want to jinx anything until we everything confirmed, so check back for updates!

I am now working on the guest list, and gift registry. My fiance and I have decided that I will do the leg work and he will add/try to delete things when I'm done. Since I am home for wedding my mother has put me in wedding boot camp. She started weight watchers a few months back and looks amazing so I started it this week (along with daddy) and I have also started to work out. I went to the gym Tuesday to meet with my old trainer, and then did Jillian Michaels 30 day shred with my mother and let me tell you I HURT! I am going to do day 2 of Jillian Michaels later today and I'll let you know if I survive. ha ha!

I will post photos of things as they become finalized but until then my posting will have to do. :P

more cuts and more waiting

2010-06-08T16:05:00.002-05:00

more budget cuts are being proposed which means more waiting for me. I keep getting told I'm safe but honestly until I see that contract I'm scared!!!

waiting..

2010-06-01T08:55:00.002-05:00

I am still waiting to find out if I have my job for next year. Let me tell you about this waiting! It sucks!!! They are sending a letter out, and they still have my wrong address but every time I try to call and change it the person I need isn't there. Shocking? Nope! Mentally I am a giant mess but I am hoping that the fact that I will be so busy for the next few days that it really won't matter. I don't think that will help but a girl can dream right? I am supposed to find out Friday but in the back of my mind I feel like they are going to push it back which would just make everything worse.

New Blog!

2010-05-27T08:42:00.001-05:00

http://putyournoseinthisbook.blogspot.com/2010/05/sht-my-dad-says-justin-halpern.html

waiting..

2010-05-27T08:00:00.002-05:00

I love my job! I am also waiting to find out if I have it next year or not. Why? I am a new teacher who is on a non continuing contract and they are cutting about 150 of us. I don't want to leave my job, I don't want to have to start applying again or even find a new school I want to stay at my current job. (Insert whining and temper tantrum!) I am not the most self-confident person but when it comes to teaching I have endless confidence. I have the test scores to prove it, I still enjoy waking up and going to class each day, and for those of you who have had jobs you hate you understand the importance of that statement. To make matters worse I just sat through two days of training and now want my job more than ever. We are implementing a new program next year that I get to teach and well it looks like a lot of work but also looks amazing! I find out June 4th if I will be a teacher again next year at my school, so wish me luck and pray for me.

On a much happier note, I am in Dallas today with my mother, cousin (MOH) to try on wedding dresses. My cousin is a bridal consultant at a fancy store here in Dallas and well she knows me pretty darn well so I will be spending the morning with her trying on dresses and of course she has to try on bridesmaid dresses for me. I am FINALLY starting to plan our wedding and while I am very excited about all this, I'm nervous as all get out. Like I said above I don't have the best self confidence and well spending a few hours looking at myself in the mirror is nerve wracking, but definitely going to be worth it.

the end

2010-05-21T00:19:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is my last day of my first year of teaching! I am sad but excited at the same time. At this point I have an assignment for next year but still no contract. June 4th is the deadline for the district having to let us know and I pray that they won't cut me. I love my job and want to continue until they kick me out. :) I will write more about how the day progresses.

4 days...

2010-05-17T07:40:00.000-05:00

Today is the last Monday of my first year of teaching....

Do you?

2010-05-14T08:16:00.002-05:00

Do you ever feel like things you wish went by quickly would slow down and things that went by slowly would hurry up?

Whole Foods to be Located by Classen Curve in Oklahoma City - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

2010-05-13T06:45:00.000-05:00

Whole Foods to be Located by Classen Curve in Oklahoma City - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

spring has sprung..

2010-05-11T21:19:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry I've been MIA for the past 11 days but things have been CRAZY. I spent the first week of May babysitting my cousins for the week, moving into a house with David, and trying to get my students to not go insane with all the testing they've been doing. The amount of testing that goes into the school system is insane, they have taken 3 HUGE tests in the past 2 months. 3, and they weren't very easy nor were my students prepared. Last year 12 students passed the CRT so this year I told my kids if 95% passed I'd dye my hair pink. Lucky for me they get the scores next year so maybe no one will remember. :)

Tornado season started with a vengenance last night and David didn't have to go to work today because his office building didn't have power. We are all fine but the storms that tore through were HORRIBLE. Please keep Oklahomans in your thoughts and prayers. On a much happier note I am going to Dallas in a few weeks to try on wedding dresses. I can't wait! My mom is meeting me there, my maid of honor will be there trying on dresses as well as helping me pick mine. She works at a fabulous store in Dallas and has picked out some dresses for me. I can't wait!

I just wanted to let everyone know I'm alive and well.

odds & ends

2010-05-01T07:42:00.002-05:00

I received my teaching assignment for next year and it's back at my school! (Let's just hope that I don't get cut before I can sign the contract!) I am very excited and can't wait for next year. I will be teaching the ACT program again but I will be teaching a new one that is known as Ramp Up which means I get my students for 90 minutes, and I will HOPEFULLY be able to see a change in their grades, reading skills. I also get to switch rooms!

Today is moving day and well poor David. I am the worst person to have to move, plus I haven't really been home since Tuesday so my packing is not as amazing as it should be. The kids (I'm babysitting my cousins) and I will go over to my apartment this afternoon and wrap stuff up to move but until then I have errands to run, things to do. I am getting ready to formally accept my Junior League invite, and find my placements for this upcoming year. Wish me luck!

I will post more but I wanted to share the exciting news. Sidenote there are 15 SCHOOL days left of my first year as a teacher. AHHHHHH!!!

Testing Week

2010-04-29T20:45:00.001-05:00

This week is testing week at school and while I love my students two days of 3 hours with 1st period is too much. We have testing next week too so I'm hoping that we can switch it up a bit. I did enjoy having 5 kids in my second period today small classes are pretty awesome!

confessions part deux

2010-04-28T01:11:00.003-05:00

When I get stressed I stop sleeping.

I've stopped sleeping!

Watching my students take a three hour test is BORING

Does that make me an unsupportive teacher?

In less than five days I will be living with the love of my life

I never thought I'd get engaged/married before the age of 31

I have NO clue what I want at our wedding other than a kick arse band

I think family is one of the most important things in life, but am slowly starting to rethink which family members deserve that title

I have an insane number of bridesmaids and the dress I want is 300

OOPS

Glee still makes me happy

I am the messiest, organized person I've ever met. I color code my closet but hate putting clothes away.

I love reading but haven't had the time lately to read what I want

i constantly overbook myself

I still hate capital letters and it bothers my students

I hate the word ain't

I filled out my paperwork today to become certified in Oklahoma (instead of having a temp. teaching certificate)

I have no clue what I want to do this summer, and I think I am going to enjoy that for two days.

I am excited/nervous to move in with David

I have some of the most amazing friends a girl could ask for

I also have some of the worst friends ever

I love being able to call/text certain friends and they be able to calm me down, squash my fears, make me laugh, all of the above because they know me so well

I love being Aunt Jen

Happy Thoughts!

2010-04-23T07:46:00.003-05:00

I managed to pass my Residency Teacher Year, which means I will get a certificate instead of a provisional one. woot woot!

I am hopefully fingers crossed getting my job back next year!

David and I are moving in together in one week!

Those Oklahoma Sooner boys represented in the draft last night! (Three of the top five!)

Oklahoma Thunder represented last too against the Lakers.

I'm slowly getting caught up on my laundry.

I survived my first Junior League event and enjoyed it.

I am going to dinner tonight in Norman with college friends.

It's Friday!

Confessions part 1

2010-04-21T03:24:00.002-05:00

Glee makes me smile!

I wish I could sing, I've always wanted to be on Broadway but have NEVER been a singer or an actor.

I don't usually hold grudges but I finally let go of one after six years and it feels good.

The grudge didn't mean anything important but it still feels good to let it go.

I love Tucker (my puppy) but sometimes I wonder if he'd be better with another family.

I am super flaky and I hate that!

I haven't been sleeping well lately and I don't know why.

I am getting nervous about whether or not I'll actually have a job next year.

I love my job and think that I'm a pretty good teacher.

I wish there was a real easy button so I could push it and have my apartment packed and ready to go.

I worry about money quite frequently.

I worry about quite a few things.

I miss my grandmother so much even though I know she's in a much better place but I wish she had gotten to meet David.

I wish everyone got along but I know that will never happen.

I love being a nerd but sometimes wonder people really think of me.

I wanted to correct a random strangers grammar but I still stink at it myself so I didn't.

I don't have a bucket list.

I don't believe in regrets or what if's.

I never thought I'd get married before 32.

I can't wait to move in with Daibid but am scared about sharing a place with a boy.

I hate outside smell!

we got it!

2010-04-12T01:36:00.000-05:00

well the duplex is ours, which means packing boxes here I come!!!

i have a valid reason for being mia i swear!

2010-04-06T23:11:00.002-05:00

last week I was informed that there is a chance I might not get my job next year! I LOVE my job so this news depressed me greatly and I have been in "hiding" since. That same day my cousin sent me a link listing a job at a school I have been trying to teach at for quite some time, and today I got a call back. I am very torn as I love my job more than anything but I know that everything in life happens for a reason so I am going to keep hoping, wishing, and praying.

I also had some not so fun issues come up and I have been trying to figure out what to do not to mention wedding planning. OMG people this is difficult when you have NO clue what you are doing. I have helped more friends and now I can't even help myself. oops! :)

Fancy and I went to look at a duplex tonight in the area of town we want to live in. It's super duper cute and let's hope we get it! I will know Thursday. Keep those fingers crossed. While you're at it, keep them crossed because tomorrow I have an observation from my professor for my residency teacher committee and last time she freaking walked out. oy!

new rants and raves...

2010-04-03T00:28:00.002-05:00

i am an english teacher who dislikes grammar!

i love my puppy but in the morning when he is trying to lick the lotion off my legs want him to go away

i am overwhelmed by the wedding planning and everyone's thoughts on what i should do

i feel like i'm missing something from my wedding party, guest list, etc.

i think it's rude to be loud when you live in an apartment complex after 10 pm

i love my job and don't want to lose it

i hate math but want to become a math teacher

wonder if i'll ever be able to afford myself

wonder why i can't afford myself and does this make me a bad person

think you're fun

a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down

A few photos...

2010-04-02T07:54:00.003-05:00

april fools part 1

2010-04-01T08:12:00.004-05:00

Is it wrong that I'm nervous about going to school today? April fools with a bunch of middle schoolers? Oh lord help me!

As a side note, I have been absent for the past three days due to my stupid ear infection so I spent yesterday with one of my favorite people ever and his mom (ha ha I'm funny!) I spent the afternoon with my best friend and her adorable baby Hudson. While we were on our adventures yesterday we found the most AMAZING thing for Hudson, baby bite biscuits or something like that. I stole this photo from Nat's blog because it's my new favorite! Hudson was flirting with me and I was eating it up!

The engagement!

2010-03-30T22:33:00.002-05:00

I have been engaged for almost two weeks and well it's still weird. The engagement itself was fantastic!

My fancy as I call him flew to South Carolina to surprise me, he brought with him my ring, and his parents! If yall remember a few posts back I discussed going to Charlotte to go shopping with my mother well it was a lie. It was a lie that my parents, his parents and my fancy knew about but of course I knew nothing. My mother told me that before we went to Charlotte we had to go to the Plantation house to look for something (it is our neighborhood's clubhouse) I went with my mother and of course was on the phone with my aunt asking about the snow that Oklahoma was getting, while I was on the phone my mother kept trying to get me pay attention by asking making random statements and I finally looked up. When I looked up I saw David sitting on the couch smiling at me, so as I am a classy southern belle the first words out of my mouth were "Holy Sh*t! Why are you here? & Where is the dog?" (He had told me the night before he was going to go walk the dog then go to bed. I was confused! He then got on one knee and apparently asked me to be his bride. I don't remember that either because I told him to shut up a few times, then said no no keep talking. ( I told yall I'm classy!) After that happened both sets of parents walked out, my friend Heidi showed herself from behind the camera that had been snapping away and we were engaged!

I am very very very excited to be engaged to David! I have spent the past few weeks getting things settled and we will be married March 12, 2011 because that's the first weekend of spring break (ahh the joys of being a teacher!) and we can take a week off for our honeymoon.

OMG!

2010-03-21T23:08:00.000-05:00

I am engaged!!!!!

more details to follow i promise!

seriously?!?!?

2010-03-19T20:56:00.002-05:00

picture this.. i'm driving my mom's cute little convertable today, top down, beautiful 74 degrees. i then call the boyfriend to see how things are going in oklahoma only to find out that it's 58 and we're supposed to get a blizzard tonight! i am so not getting on that plane sunday morning! i can't leave this beautiful south carolina weather for yucky cold weather. i even announced it at synagogue tonight that i wasn't going back because it was too cold there. speaking of synagogue i love it! i haven't connected in oklahoma yet but i love coming home and going with my parents. i love our rabbi, i love the prayers, i love shabbat, i love it all!!

tomorrow we're going shopping at the big time outlets with my mama so hopefully i can get some new clothes. i love coming home to visit. he he!

Is it wrong?

2010-03-18T00:46:00.002-05:00

The following are a few things that have been running through my head the past few days....

Is it wrong ....

that I have grading to do and refuse to do it because I'm on spring break?

that I need to be lesson planning but once again refuse because I'm on spring break?

apparently think i'm e.e. cummings because i hate using capital letters (and i'm an english teacher)

that i know i don't need anything but i still love shopping

that i love being home being spoiled by my parents

that i didn't enjoy spring awakening and i'm not sure if it was my sore ear or the musical itself

that i spend hours on facebook instead of being productive

that i really want my mom to give me one of her rings for my engagement ring

that i still sometimes live paycheck to paycheck due to stupid mistakes in the past

that i wish my nanny was here to see how happy i am, and to meet david

that i love my job and some of my friends are about to lose theirs

that i like some of my friends more than others

that i want more than anything to lose weight but don't know where or how to start

that i can't watch the show hoarders because it makes me feel like one

that i'm not perfect and am okay with that

that i allow david to cook instead of me

that i love doing laundry but not putting it away

that i wish tucker walked himself

that i never get everything done i want

that i sometimes feel like such a negative nancy and am okay with it

that i'm not always a nice person and once again okay with it

that people with no manners irk me

that people who think they have manners and are southern irk me even more

that people who think they are going to be in my wedding (which isn't soon but i'm just saying) aren't

that it bothers me when people say the word jew instead of jewish

that work is fun

that i took twenty items to the alterations lady and am scared to pick it up due to the bill

that i hate small talk

i mean really hate it

that's all for now...

i am off to greenwood, south carolina tomorrow for my yearly visit to their gamma phi chapter. i love the girls there and can't wait to see them and meet some of the new ones, but i hate the drive down there. it's 45 minutes away from my parents house and it's the LONGEST road ever due to the fact that you want to speed but you can't because you go through random small south carolina towns. oh the joy! which means i need to make some awesome cds since i lost my ipod and sing super loud on the way down there. if my phone accidently calls you (it has a short in it somewhere and of course i haven't had time to get it fixed) i'm apologizing now.

The past few spring breaks....

2010-03-16T22:23:00.004-05:00

Caroline over at Pink Champagne did a look back at her previous spring breaks and I have chosen to do the same.

Freshman Year of College (2001) I met my cousin and her friends in Myrtle Beach, and it was freezing! This was pre-digital cameras for me so no photos...

The next year I went to Panama City with three of my friends one being Hudson's Mommy and well those pictures aren't suitable for the public to view... :)

Junior year I went home and ended up with an all-access pass, and backstage pass to the Kenny Chesney tour. It was a blast. Note the photo below..

I loved spring break while in college and that doesn't change any bit now that I'm teacher. I NEED spring break as a teacher ha ha!

lazy saturday....

2010-03-13T17:25:00.002-06:00

spring break started for me yesterday at 5 pm and so far so good... I had scheduled a massage because I expected my students to be crazy and I was quasi-correct. They were all crazy but 7th period my craziest was pretty good. I had them watch a documentary called Paperclips, and it was okay.

the best part about today is that i have FINALLY been able to catch up on my tivo and be lazy. I have LOVED it. I have also been decluttering a few things again but I feel that's a never ending process and won't end until I move out of a one bedroom apartment. i am enjoying the ability to lay around and do nothing because it won't last long. i am going to visit my parents on tuesday and while i can't wait, i have to do some sorority stuff while i'm there. i love my sorority and i'm super excited to see the girls but it's spring break and i had plans to lay around and be lazy so for the next few days i'm going to be lazy...

National Ditch Day

2010-03-12T08:03:00.004-06:00

According to my students today is national ditch today.. hmm.. the friday before spring break? please students follow the tradition and ditch! Is that wrong? If it is tough because my kids have been crazy and while I love them, sometimes it's okay to start your vacation a day early.. :)

Let the countdown begin!

2010-03-11T07:33:00.002-06:00

until
and I get to go home to South Carolina!!!

springtime in Oklahoma

2010-03-09T08:18:00.001-06:00

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2010/03/08/ac.vo.ok.tornado.touchdown.mxf.cnn

Celebration!!!

2010-03-07T21:17:00.002-06:00

This happens to be one of my best friends and I've been dying to share this awesome news so here it is!!!

http://jrandnat.blogspot.com/2010/03/from-three-to-four.html

Break the Silence Sunday

2010-03-07T21:07:00.002-06:00

I know that today is supposed to be a picture and no words but I haven't written in a while so I will post the picture tomorrow. I haven't written because there has been too much going on in my life and I wasn't sure how much of it I wanted to share but those of you who know me, know that I'm pretty much an open book and since I only have 12 readers I decided what the heck.

My boyfriend was laid off from his job a few weeks ago and (it was a blessing in disguise) it has been hard for him. He's a smart guy (Emory for undergrad) but with this lovely economy there isn't much out there. My heart is breaking for him and I'm trying to be supportive but I'm a giant mess so who am I to tell someone what to do?

School has been crazy! I had my review the other day and the woman walked out after 10 minutes! She's a former librarian and has NEVER been in the class. She asked me what grade I taught while in the middle of my observation. um... wow! Then the next day I had another observation from the man who is in charge of our ACT America's Choice program that the Oklahoma City public school board says we have to follow and according to him I'm doing awesome!

I love my job but my resident teacher lady is not cool. How can someone who doesn't understand what it means to teach in a Title 1 school tell me whether or not I'm a good teacher? She told me not to let my kids in the class if they didn't have pencils, a) I would NEVER have students b) I would NEVER have students and c) I would NEVER have students. My principals' face when she said that was kind of priceless.

Speaking of my awesome job! I had fight #3 in my class Friday morning. Two girls decided for whatever reason to go at each other and I did not intervene. I refuse to get involved with two girls fighting and instead sent one student to the main office to get the police officer, and two other girls broke up the fight. I was yelling at them to stop, but seeing as how I haven't really had a voice for five days no one heard me. For those of you who are about to become teachers don't let that story scare you.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of my life right now but I wanted to explain why I've been MIA lately.