tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66743048548028451582024-03-18T22:09:27.058-06:00Michelle's AdventuresUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger313125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-74736283620904021872017-05-22T22:19:00.000-06:002017-05-23T10:43:28.056-06:00Closed For ServiceIt's been nearly 5 months since the breakup. During these 5 months, the relationship has kind of been in limbo (at least for me). If I am honest with myself, I'm the one that has made it that way and have dragged it on this long because I am having a very hard time letting go of someone I love and care about very much. He also did some things to encourage me a little bit during that time, so I can't beat myself up too much.<br />
<br />
It's been hard. It doesn't help that work has been very stressful with SAGE testing and this school year has been exhausting and very long. On top of that my family has had some hard things going on and it's just so been so much to handle. I'm emotionally drained. My heart needs to take a break for a while. It needs to be closed for service until further notice.<br />
<br />
Heartache is a physical pain that I never really fully understood or knew until now. I'm broken and I need to be open and willing to move on and be healed by the Savior. This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity of hearing Elder Jeffery R. Holland speak at my stake conference. If one could title the message he gave, it would probably be, "God Loves Broken Things." He testified that God knows heartache. Christ died of a broken heart. As a disciple of Christ, I must expect to experience to some degree the things He experienced, including having a broken heart. He said to not scream, whine, or shake fist at God when it happens. God knows the dream that was broken and when He designed the Plan He knew this had to be and when I signed up for it, I knew it, too. He said in powerful words (in the way that Elder Holland does) don't dare say that God doesn't love me or that He isn't there. I will get a return on the sorrow and heartaches I've felt. It's my offering, my sacrifice that I can bring to the alter to show Him that I love Him and will be faithful no matter what. I have to go to the alter and trust that it will all work out. I have to trust that I will get my life (happiness) and heart back and that I'd get it back better than it was before. "Endure and save yourselves for days of happiness ahead.... You will be happy again.... This is a church of happy endings." Some day someone will need my broken heart in their behalf.<br />
<br />
In powerful words Elder Holland said that I cannot argue with the evidence that God fulfills every promise He makes. The evidence is the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, but it also is the many miracles that I've experienced and seen in my own life. I can pretend or wish or even regret they happened, but they won't go away, they will be there for the rest of my life. In John 9, Peter commands a man unable to walk to rise up and walk, which was a completely unreasonable, unexpected, even outrageous thing to ask him to do considering his condition. The man obeyed immediately and was not only completely healed, but he had his life, energy, and spirit restored. Whatever the infirmity, it's like God is saying, "We will heal this! There is a happy ending. It will all get resolved." God will bless me and bless all those I worry about. There are plenty of blessings for all.<br />
<br />
Elder Holland then gave a powerful apostolic blessing that I can't put into words. I was too overcome with emotion (think ugly cry-much to my embarrassment next to new friends in the middle of stake conference) to write anything down. It left me with a feeling of peace that I haven't felt in a long time. It gave me the confidence I needed to do something I needed to do so I could really start to move on and forward again like I need to. I know that the road immediately ahead will still be rough and I will likely still have some bad days and ugly cries, but that is exactly why I need to have my heart "closed for service" for a time.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I'm going to focus on building friendships, giving service, being fully involved in my ward, exercising, and learning/trying new things.<br />
<br />
I heard this song at an assembly today and found it completely fitting:<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 13px;">
A dream is a wish your heart makes<br />When you're fast asleep<br />In dreams you lose your heartaches<br />Whatever you wish for, you keep</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 13px;">
Have faith in your dreams and someday<br />Your rainbow will come smiling through<br />No matter how your heart is grieving<br />If you keep on believing<br />The dream that you wish will come true</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 13px;">
A dream is a wish your heart makes<br />When you're feeling small<br />Alone, in the night you whisper<br />Thinking no one can hear you at all</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 13px;">
You wake with the morning sunlight<br />To find fortune that is smiling on you<br />Don't let your heart be filled with sorrow<br />For all you know tomorrow<br />The dream that you wish will come true</div>
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A dream is a wish your heart makes<br />A dream<span class="_Lvn">…</span></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-63218608080910805192017-02-22T23:08:00.003-07:002017-02-22T23:14:53.141-07:00Matters of the HeartThis is the second time in only a matter of 5 months that I have been heartbroken. It seems that each heartbreak is more painful than the last. It makes me dread opening up again only to fall in love and be heartbroken once more. My heart is kind of numb right now. I feel like I've been riding a roller coaster of emotions these past couple of weeks since I was broken up with out of the blue. I've been holding tight to a thin string of hope since then, only realizing a day or so ago that it will break and I will fall hard to the ground if I don't let go soon. I can fill buckets with all the tears I've cried. Letting go hurts. I've told myself to pretend like it was just a dream, like it didn't ever happen, because that relationship honestly felt like a dream. It was amazing and so is he. But I received a priesthood blessing and it said that I need to embrace the experience I had and learn something from it that will help me in future relationships. I'm still trying to figure out what things I can learn and apply, but I've got time to do that.<br />
<br />
A few days after the break up, I went to a fireside where Elder Christofferson spoke. He expounded on the scripture <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/joel/2?lang=eng" target="_blank">Joel 2:21-25</a>, specifically talking about verse 25 where the Lord says, "I will restore to you the years that the locust have eaten...." He then testified that what it means is that those things that were unfairly denied or taken away will be returned, things that were missed will come, even lost time, God will make whole again. He then gave an apostolic blessing that I desperately needed. It was comforting despite the fresh pain I was feeling at the time.<br />
<br />
Since then I've been thinking quite a bit about love, humility, and joy. This past weekend I was reading the scriptures in the temple and I gained some insight into a scripture I've read many times before. If you haven't ever read the scriptures in the temple, I recommend it. There is a clarity of mind I get as I'm in the house of the Lord and the influences and thoughts of the outside world are muted. I read these scriptures in <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/8?lang=eng" target="_blank">Moroni 8: 16-17, 26</a>:<br />
<br />
"... perfect love casteth out all fear."<br />
<br />
"... charity, which is everlasting love..."<br />
<br />
"And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of <b>meekness and lowliness of heart</b> cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, <b>which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love</b>, <u>which love endureth by diligence unto prayer</u>, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God."<br />
<br />
Then in <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/1-jn/4?lang=eng" target="_blank">1 John 4:18</a>:<br />
<br />
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."<br />
<br />
As I've started working again in the temple, I've learned quite a bit about humility. Humility brings the Spirit and allows me to learn, feel and serve as the Lord would have me do those things. When I willingly submit to the Spirit I gain and can do so much more than I would on my own. Humility brings the Spirit. It can comfort me and fill me with the hope and perfect love that I am so desperately wanting to feel. Now, generally, we tend to only think about these scriptures talking about the idea of charity. But in that moment I thought of it in a more general way- familial love, romantic love, friendship love, neighbor love. It applies to all of those. I love that it says love endures by praying diligently- it takes work to keep it strong and make it last.<br />
<br />
I learned that fear is a wedge that can come between people who love in whatever kind of relationship it is- sibling, romantic, co-worker, whatever. When there is fear in a relationship, it's TORMENT! It's awful and I hate it. (As a side note, I think we play the dating "game" because of fear. Maybe that's why I hate the "game" so much.) That love is not perfect- something needs to change or be improved. In <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/7?lang=eng" target="_blank">Moroni 7</a> it talks about how you can't have charity without hope and you can't have hope without faith and you can't have faith without being humble. I love this connection. I can pray for the Holy Ghost to fill me with hope so that fear can be cast out and I can love perfectly.<br />
<br />
Lastly, over the past few months I've been thinking a lot about joy and what it means and how to have it. A few weeks ago a friend made a connection that I hadn't thought of before. He noticed that when he looked up joy in the topical guide, most of the scriptures that contained the word joy in it were talking about enduring hard things. This is a hard thing for me to endure at the moment, but I can still have joy. It will take time to fully heal, but I'm already finding joy in little things. I'm going to be okay.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-22032104667716099632016-09-25T10:53:00.001-06:002016-09-25T10:56:52.564-06:00How did this happen?There are three ways to "graduate" from the young single adult ward:<br />
1. Get married<br />
2. Turn 31<br />
3. Die<br />
<br />
Well, I'm no longer dating anyone, so getting married is out of the question. I'm pretty healthy, so unless something tragic happens, I'm not going to die anytime soon. So, I'm turning 31. It's not for a couple of months, but it's been on my mind a lot the last few weeks. Never in my worst nightmares did I ever think that I would be turning 31 and not be married. I now have to decide if I will go to the mid-singles ward or to the family ward.<br />
<br />
In my mind, the mid-singles ward has a bunch of weirdos or "left-overs" who weren't good enough quality to get married. I know that isn't true because now I'm going to be one of them! Salt Lake has a huge mid-singles ward that actually should be two wards because it's so big. I'm terrified to go to it. I'm afraid of the creepers and of the divorced guys with kids. I feel like there's a stigma about going to the mid-singles ward that I don't want to have applied to me. I think in reality the stigma isn't there anymore because of how many mid-singles there are now, but it's still not easy for me.<br />
<br />
I've also thought a lot about going to the family ward. That scares me, too. I have several friends that go to a family ward, but come to the YSA activities still, so I could do that, too. Part of me thinks it would be nice to get involved in a family ward, but then I would have to be proactive to meet people outside of the ward because more than likely, I would be one of the few singles there.<br />
<br />
Then there is the option to stay in the YSA ward until... whenever. The bishop has told a bunch of us that are turning 31 this year that we can stay as long as we want. I know of a couple people who have chosen to stay because they don't feel like the belong to the mid-singles group or the family ward.<br />
<br />
I have a couple months before I turn 31, but I decided that I'll have courage and check out the mid-singles ward today. A few friends said we could all check it out together, but I'm going to go alone so I can really try to get a feel for it. I know that going once won't really tell me what I want to know, but at least I'd know a little more to make my decision slightly easier.<br />
<br />
Recently I tried a couple of new dating apps. I've not really got anything from them! It makes me wonder if the Lord is telling me that I need to give myself more time to heal from my breakup before I try online dating again. Part of me really wants to give up on it again because meeting someone online almost forces you to start dating right away rather than allow you to become friends first before dating. I really just want to get to know guys in person without the pressure of dating. I need more options. So, that's another reason why I'm checking out the mid-singles ward today. At least I'd know that the guys there are older, LDS, go to church, etc. I don't have to ask them like I would on a dating app.<br />
<br />
Elder Uchtdorf's talk at the women's General Conference session last night was exactly what I needed. Summary from LDS.org:<br />
<br />
"The purpose of faith is not to <i>change</i> God’s will but to empower us to <i>act on</i>
God’s will. Faith is trust—trust that God sees what we cannot and that
He knows what we do not. Sometimes, trusting our own vision and judgment
is not enough. …<br />
<br />
Faith
means that we trust not only in God’s wisdom but that we trust also in
His love. It means trusting that God loves us perfectly, that everything
He does—every blessing He gives and every blessing He, for a time,
withholds—is for our eternal happiness.<br />
<br />
With
this kind of faith, though we may not understand why certain things
happen or why certain prayers go unanswered, we can know that in the end
everything will make sense. …<br />
<br />
Until
then, we walk by whatever faith we have, seeking always to increase our
faith. Sometimes, this is not an easy quest. Those who are impatient,
uncommitted, or careless may find faith to be elusive. Those who are
easily discouraged or distracted may hardly experience it. Faith comes
to the humble, the diligent, the enduring.<br />
<br />
It comes to those who pay the price of faithfulness. …<br />
<br />
In
our search for enduring faith, in our quest to connect with God and His
purposes, let us remember the Lord’s promise: 'Knock, and it shall be
opened unto you' [<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/7.7?lang=eng#6">Matthew 7:7</a>]. …<br />
<br />
God 'rewards those who earnestly seek him' [<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/heb/11.6?lang=eng#5">Hebrews 11:6</a>],
but that reward is not usually behind the first door. So we need to
keep knocking. Sisters, don’t give up. Seek God with all your heart.
Exercise faith. Walk in righteousness."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-23587038722804518152016-07-29T15:47:00.001-06:002016-07-29T15:48:15.408-06:00SummerWell, I feel like today is my last real day of summer vacation. Next week I have a teaching methods class and then the following week I'm going back to work.<br />
<br />
This summer has gone by way too fast. I think it felt especially short for me this year because I've been taking teaching classes to get my teaching license. My brain is automatically in work mode when I'm in those classes and I can't help that. So, needless to say, I've tried to soak up as much of the sun and relaxation of summer in the few weeks of break that I've had. I am quite aware that most professions don't get summers off, so I should be grateful for any time I have, but my job is exhausting 9 months of the year. I don't even want to think about it.... Don't get me wrong, I love teaching and I'm excited to continue to learn how to be a better teacher. I've learned so much from the classes I've taken this summer.<br />
<br />
This coming year I'll be teaching 4th grade!! I'll be inside the school rather than in a relocatable, which will be so nice. I will be busy taking a few more classes during the school year, but my goal is to have my level 1 license by next summer! That means next summer I might actually have a summer! I'm already planning a good trip somewhere. I've got a passport now, so the I could go anywhere! I'll keep dreaming for now....<br />
<br />
In other news, I've been dating a guy for 6 months now. Things are going well and I'm happy. :) My sister also lives in the SLC area now, so I've also been hanging out with her and that's always awesome. My family went to Hogwarts in Hollywood a couple of weeks ago. If you want to see the video, check it out on YouTube. It was a lot of fun. Butter beer is my new favorite drink. :)<br />
<br />
Lately, I've taken up exploring some of the canyons nearby and I found a new one today. Enjoy the video!<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p9WbtvwcZt4" width="459"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-77343966961528649552016-06-11T13:38:00.001-06:002016-06-11T13:38:11.709-06:00Kelly's Take Vegas...AgainMy brother Steven goes to car shows all the time and one he really likes is in Vegas. So, we decided to join him and make it a family adventure! It was great to see my family again and play with my nephews and niece. Only downside is that we all got bad colds, and one even got the flu, when we got back. :(<br /><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zzWBP9_bj3E" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-5841300707226542222016-05-30T15:44:00.001-06:002016-07-29T15:50:18.607-06:00I Feel AliveIt's Memorial Day weekend! It feels so good to be out hiking again. I<br />
need to shed some of that first-year teacher weight I've gained.... <br />
This school year was probably the hardest, longest school year of my <br />
career. Actually, now that I think about it, my first year as a <br />
preschool teacher might have actually been worse, but still. It's been a<br />
rough year and I'm so ready for the summer. As hard as this year has been, I've learned so much and have made some great memories and friends. <br />
<br />
Most people already know that next year I'm moving to 4th grade. That means <br />
I'll have some of the same kids (which I'm already having nightmares <br />
about). Besides that, it will be a much needed fresh start in a new room<br />
with a new team of teachers to get to know and work with.<br />
<br />
This summer I'll be taking 4 classes that I need in order to get my teaching<br />
license. It will be crazy this next year, but I'm hoping to get my <br />
level 1 license by next summer. Besides that, I'm planning a couple road<br />
trips and to be outside as much as I can.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KSPaOSPshdY" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-7816074680648989452016-05-15T22:18:00.001-06:002016-05-15T22:18:34.991-06:00Choose Your Own Adventure Moab 2016This weekend I took a much needed break by going to Moab with my ward. It was awesome! It was structured as a choose your own adventure so there was so many possibilities for fun. I went horseback riding for the first time (for longer than a few minutes) and loved it. I feel good and ready to face these last couple weeks of school. The song I used in the video is one that the student choir sang at school last week and it was stuck in head all weekend, so now it's going to be stuck in yours. haha<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lovZ0qEH8nk" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-88793439006440648002016-05-10T18:17:00.003-06:002016-05-10T18:21:55.613-06:00SAGE Testing<div data-contents="true">
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<span data-offset-key="5at3o-0-0"><span data-text="true">Today I've seen and heard several ads about a report KSL is doing tonight on whether or not parents should opt their children out of taking the SAGE test (standardized test). I feel that as a teacher I should share some of my thoughts about this, so here it goes:</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="7km1h-0-0"><span data-text="true">First of all, the SAGE test does not accurately show children's knowledge of the the core standards. I reviewed the grades my students received on assessments and compared them to their SAGE score and they don't match or even look similar except in the case of my VERY high level kids. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a2mue-0-0"><span data-text="true">I think the main reason for that is because the SAGE test questions are difficult to figure out. It's not a typical ABCD answer choice like tests used to be. You have to manipulate things within the questions in a certain way to get the answer. Yeah, that sounds like fun, but in reality it's not. Basically what I'm trying to say is that the questions themselves prevent the kids from doing well on the tests. They have training tests teachers can do with the kids to help them know how to manipulate things to answer the questions, but most of the question types, especially for math, are complicated and not even on the training tests. As a teacher it's frustrating to see these kids basically give up on the tests because it is hard to figure out how to answer the questions. Besides that, correct me if I'm wrong, but the tests they will have the take in the future to go to college are still ABCD tests. If we want our kids to go to college, shouldn't we be giving them tests that are similar to the ACT and SAT? They don't have questions you have to manipulate stuff for do they? I really wonder if they do now.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a2mue-0-0"><span data-text="true">The other problem with the SAGE test is that the questions get harder or easier based on how the student answers the questions. That seems great, but the problem is that when questions get harder and harder, it is discouraging and makes the kids feel dumb even though it wasn't because they didn't know the material. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a2mue-0-0"><span data-text="true">Now, before you think I'm saying parents should opt their children out of taking the tests, hear me out. I would much rather them change the test than for parents to opt out. No school is doing very well on these tests, which ought to tell us something. Most people would probably think it's because the education system is failing and teachers are terrible, but that's not entirely true (although it probably is partly true). If you're going to test everyone, don't make it impossible to do well on it!!</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a2mue-0-0"><span data-text="true">Part of the problem with parents opting their kids out is that the parents who do that are the ones with the kids who actually would do well on the tests, which messes with the whole average score and the and such. There are some parents who I wish would opt their kids out because their kids have special needs and these tests are not designed for them. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a2mue-0-0"><span data-text="true">Another thing about testing is that there are people trying to pass laws that would require teachers' pay, evaluations, and other things to be based on the SAGE test results. I pray they don't ever do that. Seriously. We don't get paid enough as it is. Anything being based on the SAGE scores would be WRONG. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a2mue-0-0"><span data-text="true">Lastly, SAGE testing is all over for this year, so it's kind of pointless to be doing a debate about it now. I guess it could affect parents next year though.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a2mue-0-0"><span data-text="true">The only thing I'd also want to change is when testing is done. We're done with testing and we still have 3 weeks left of school. We rushed through our curriculum for testing so now what do we do?? We are literally killing time until school ends. The kids are done and so are teachers. Only 13 more days.</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-45885784778625479522016-02-15T18:02:00.001-07:002016-07-29T15:50:58.199-06:00Snow Snow Good<br />
<br />
I love four day weekends! It's been pretty stressful lately, so this break was definitely needed. Work at my new job teaching 3rd grade is going well. I had my final observation by the principal and she gave me a yes for next year! I also took the dreaded PRAXIS test that all teachers have to take to get certified. I passed all four sections! I barely got a passing score on the math, which is a miracle considering I was running out of time and had to guess on a lot of the problems.<br />
<br />
As far as dating goes, my ward has about a 4-1 ratio of girls to guys, so I've resorted to online dating again. I've decided to give it an honest chance this time and so far it's going better than in the past. Fortunately, this time I haven't had all the creepers wanting to chat with me and I've had an easier time talking to guys on there. I've talked to many guys and have gone on a few dates, so I'm not complaining. :)<br />
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This weekend I went snowshoeing a couple of times and just relaxed and it felt amazing.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ilLbmQEYaSs" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-74783407817230376502015-11-15T17:18:00.000-07:002015-11-15T17:18:29.929-07:003rd GradeWell, I've survived my first few weeks of teaching third grade! I have been so blessed. I received a fire-hose of information and had to get right into teaching. My co-workers are very supportive and so many people have come in to help me with whatever I need.<br />
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This past week was my first week of really teaching on my own. I literally spent all day the previous Saturday preparing and still didn't have it all done. Overall, it all went well. It was nice to not have so many people coming in asking if I needed help. I had my first observation this week and it was good. The principal is understanding that I won't get it all right now and is just glad that I'm there.<br />
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It's been nice this week to go home and have a life outside of work. I don't have nearly as much I have to prepare to teach and the school closes around 6 pm, so I can't stay late even if I needed to. My classroom is still not the way I want it to be, but it's not as important as teaching and doing the other things I need to. It will come, though.<br />
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I'm basically teaching out of only two books- a language arts book and a math book. The language arts book took me a long time to really figure out how to use it, but I'm getting more comfortable with it. Math, on the other hand, is harder for me. It always has been. It's actually a really simple and straightforward book, but I find it difficult to know how to teach it because I struggle understanding it myself. Fortunately, the other nice part about this job is that I can figure out how to teach things the way that works for me. They call it the "art of teaching." I've seen so many different styles of teachers that actually comforts me as I try to figure out what my style is. It's nice that there is no "wrong way" to teach here.<br />
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The kids are really good. I do have a few kids that drive me nuts some days, but there are always those kids. The difference between 5th graders and 3rd graders is that 5th graders are much more self-conscious and like to question rules a little. Third graders still want to please the teacher and want friends, but they don't care so much about how they are seen by them. With 3rd graders I also have to give everything literally step by step- breaking everything down for them to understand and do. I learn very quickly when I haven't simplified instructions enough.<br />
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The greatest challenge I have is teaching the kids how to read and write. A lot of these kids struggle with both of those and it shows on the scores. They want to learn though and they have so much to share, so it's exciting to think I can help them learn how to do those things.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-6395305911216302502015-10-18T18:35:00.000-06:002015-10-18T18:35:59.078-06:00Unexpected Detour**This is incredibly long, so if you scan through it, I won't be offended, haha**<br />
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It's about time I update this blog with my latest adventure, if you want to call it that. Part of why I haven't updated here is because I was crazy busy with my new job teaching fifth grade at a charter school here in Salt Lake. The week long training on the method of teaching called Direct Instruction was overwhelming, to say the least. Only part of it was actually training on Direct Instruction, the rest was training on other subjects. It was intense and even after all the training I had no idea what I was doing. I had some great co-workers who helped me put together my classroom and my schedule so that I could be ready for the first day of school. The other 5th grade teacher was very helpful in showing me what I needed so that I could teach the first units of all the subjects and she also set up my gradebook for me. <br />
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I remember being nervous for the first day of school and I felt like the kids knew more about how things should go than I did and they really did! Those first couple of weeks the kids were like angels and I am so grateful for that. Then after about a month or so, things started getting a little more difficult class management wise, so I asked questions and tried different things.<br />
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Coaches came in to observe me and help me with classroom management and teaching. I learned a lot from them. They gave me very good feedback and I did my best to apply what they told me to do. It took me a little while to change my attitude when it came to submitting to the fact that I would not have a life outside of work. That was hard for me. I realized that if I was to be the kind of teacher that was expected of me, I needed to work really hard to learn all the material for each of the subjects so that I would be prepared to teach every day. If that meant staying at school until almost 10 pm, then I'd do it, and I did. I learned that it takes me time, a lot of time, to figure out the best way to do things and make those adaptations. I had to figure out how to use my limited preparation time during the school day so that I could get prepared for subjects and not have to always take home ALL of the books.<br />
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In this school I had my homeroom class with various subjects and then I had a spelling class (teaching phonograms and spelling rules), math class (teaching 6th grade math), and a reading class. I had to learn how to prepare for each of those classes and figure out how to actually teach the lessons in those classes. That was probably the most difficult thing to do. All classes at APA teach using Direct Instruction which is a very fast pace choral response type of instruction. I actually really like DI. I love how I can get instant feedback and help the kids study the material as I have them repeat the information. It's supposed to be very fast, but I had a hard time with that. I learned the DI cues, which are words and phrases to elicit the children's choral responses. In Spelling and Reading, I just couldn't keep the pace up and manage the class at the same time. Spelling was my most difficult subject to teach because it was all new to me and there was a certain way I was supposed to teach it and it had to be fast. Reading was my next hardest subject, but once I figured out somethings, I was able to make it through the lessons. I felt like I was progressing there, even though I was still a little behind in it.<br />
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My favorite subject to teach was history. I may not have been perfect at DI, but the kids were engaged and they did awesome on the test! I loved telling the story and the kids asking questions that told me they were learning. We also had fun jingles that we sang to help them remember the people we were talking about. I didn't make them up, someone else did, but I loved them.<br />
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I mentioned the coaches. I was observed by coaches a lot and they gave me feedback which I tried to apply. Everyone who knows me knows that I get defensive at first when I'm corrected, but I am getting better at that, too!! Anyway, sometime at the beginning of September I met with the director to make the goals of being prepared to teach and having 100% participation. I did everything in my power and ability to meet those goals and I was told by coaches I was improving. Coaches came and gave me more feedback, even more positive than before. At the end of September, they switched the instructor in my classroom and things got a little crazy, but I still did what I thought I was supposed to do. I was having to learn the curriculum as I taught it, so I was going through it a little slower than veteran teachers, but I was still teaching everything that was required. I think I was about a week behind in a of couple subjects.<br />
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The week after the switched my instructor, they told me that they were going to be video taping me teaching for "demo" purposes. I knew better than that, though, so it really made me nervous and definitely affected my teaching. After the initial day of recording, one of the IT guys asked if I'd deleted the recording, which shocked me because I absolutely did not even go near the computer that was recording me. He said that they'd have to record me again that day. In retrospect, I wonder if it didn't actually get deleted and if they just wanted to see my reaction or something. I felt that I did much better teaching on the second day, but after being recorded, the main school director came to observe me in one of my classes. It of course wasn't my best class for her to observe and she did make me nervous, although I at the time really didn't think it was really that big of a deal that she was there. I had no idea they were thinking of firing me.<br />
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I spent time Conference weekend to get myself ready for the coming week and I felt like I was prepared and make a lot of progress on the goals I'd set with them. However, they thought differently. I had no idea that they were going to fire me until right after school on Friday the director asked me to come to her office and I walked in to see the HR director, then I knew. They said that they expected me to be at a certain place by the end of the term and I wasn't there. They said that they understood going from preschool to fifth grade is a learning curve, but that maybe teaching at that school the curve was too steep for me. They said that I don't have an authoritative presence in the classroom. That point was kind of unfair in my opinion mainly because the day before me and the other 5th grade teacher and the director had talked about how all the 5th graders this year were very difficult to manage and we came up with strategies of how we can manage the classes. I immediately started to implement those things on Friday, but then I was fired. She also said that it was concerning that I was having to learn the curriculum and thus not really teaching the kids to mastery because I didn't know the material myself. I talked briefly with a co-worker in the parking lot before I left and she said that she thinks they probably had a certain negative opinion of me and my abilities to teach from the beginning and it stuck and I couldn't change it no matter how hard I worked.<br />
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I just felt blindsided and like I was not being given a fair chance or enough time to really learn the ways of teaching there. It was the worst feeling to have thought of many ways I could adapt my teaching to help the kids and just have it stop suddenly. I felt like I was leaving something unfinished. It was humiliating to have to be escorted to my classroom by one of my directors and have him stand there watching me as I cried and packed up my things. All I wanted was time alone to process it and kind of say "goodbye" to my classroom, but with him there I couldn't do that. He then escorted me to my car. By looking at the dates on the pay stub of my last pay check I learned that they'd already decided to fire me before we had discussed the day before about things we could do as a team to manage the 5th graders better. Little did I know that they thought firing me was part of that solution. It really stinks.<br />
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Needless to say, that weekend stunk. Despite how I was feeling, I still went out on a date that I'd planned earlier that week. It was good because it was a fun activity and the guy is a good friend. That night I immediately started looking online for jobs via different sites I used during the summer to find a job. I also texted some friends and posted on facebook about looking for a job. I even emailed schools that had called me for interviews during the summer after I'd already accepted the new job. The hardest part was figuring how to explain why I was fired from my last job in a honest, but positive way.<br />
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A week ago (last Sunday), I got a facebook message from the parent of one of my preschoolers from about 4 years ago or so. The message had a screen shot of a conversation with one of her friends who is a teacher. He said that his school was actually looking for a 3rd grade teacher! He explained that the 3rd grade teacher had died suddenly the week or so before. He gave the contact information of the principal and then said to not mention that he is the one who told about the open position because he was sure that the position wasn't even posted yet because it had just barely happened.<br />
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I jumped on it and emailed the principal that day. On Monday I went to observe at a charter school in Draper that one of my friends works at. I took along my resume since they had an opening for a 5th grade teacher there. The principal allowed me to observe some classes, which was awesome. It was interesting to see how similar they were to APA, but they were not nearly as strict or uniform in regards to how teachers handled classroom management. That afternoon, I decided to stop by the school that had the 3rd grade teaching position open. I hoped to observe some classes there because it was a public school, which I knew would likely be very different than the charter schools I'd been in and seen. The principal wasn't there, so I couldn't observe, but I did leave my resume and a note expressing my desire to observe and apply for any open positions. I then stopped by another charter school that's by my house, but once again, the principal wasn't there, so I couldn't observe any classes.<br />
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On Tuesday I woke up to a phone call from the Granite School District HR department saying that the principal from the elementary school with the 3rd grade position wanted to interview me!! Whoohoo! She said to expect an email, which came right after I got off the phone. She wanted to interview me on the coming Monday. I replied asking if I could come in that day or on Monday to observe some classes because I knew it would help me. She replied saying to come at 3 pm and so as to not waste my time, she'd interview me at 3:30 PM. Sweet nectar!<br />
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When I got there, we talked in her office for a little bit. She explained about the teacher dying and how my email and my coming in the day before with my resume really served as a kind of wake up call, and without saying it, a kind of answer to prayer, for her to know that she needed to move on and fill the position. She was baffled at my timing, but I laughed inwardly knowing that I couldn't tell her that one of her teachers had told me about the opening and that's why I was there.<br />
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She then told me about how the previous week she'd talked to the kids about how they would have to get a new teacher. They wanted to be a part of the hiring process, so they made a list of the qualities they wanted in their new teacher. I wish I could remember what was on the list, but it was really cute. I looked at it and felt I qualified. :) Then the principal took me to the 3rd graders (the kids I would be teaching if I were to be hired) and they were given time to interview me. The first question was "Are you helpful?" Satisfied with my answer, the child then said that he would hire me. I was also asked if I was fun and if I would decorate the classroom for Halloween. For the last one, I looked at the principal and said I didn't know, I'd have to ask if I could do that. The principal was impressed with that one. They also asked if I'd taught 3rd grade before. At one point a child shouted out, "Our teacher DIED!!" We completely ignored it and afterwards the principal thanked me for not responding to it. I figure it wasn't the time to really talk about that.<br />
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I then was interviewed like normal by the principal and some of the other 3rd grade teachers. I was able to honestly talk about why I was fired and able to spin it in a positive way by focusing on how I didn't teach as quickly because I was more concerned about teaching the kids to mastery. The answers to the other questions came quickly and I am so grateful for that. The principal said I'd know by the next afternoon since they'd be going on fall break after that.<br />
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Well, I went on a hike the next morning thinking that if they called, it wouldn't be until the afternoon. But while I was on the hike, I thought I heard my cell phone. I don't normally have my sound on or answer it for that matter on hikes, but somehow I had turned it on and somehow I'd heard it while hiking. I'd missed the call and when I tried calling back, I had no signal. I decided to walk down a few feet to where I knew I'd heard it ring and try again. It worked! I called back and it was the principal asking if I'd like to teach at Taylorsville Elementary. Absolutely!! I couldn't believe it! She said I seemed like I would be a good fit with the other teachers on the team. I was in shock the rest of the hike and didn't want to tell anyone about it until I knew it was for real. Later that day, the HR person called and said I could come in to sign the paperwork. So, 24 hours after my interview, I already had a name badge and signed a contract. I accepted the position before I even knew the salary or benefits. When I saw the salary, I realized it was almost $5,000 more than what my salary was at APA. That means I will be making almost $12,000 more than what I was making when I worked at Head Start. It's so amazing how that works. This has been an incredibly rough road, but I know that the Lord has guided me and miraculously helped me each step of the way.<br />
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Now tomorrow is my first day teaching in a public school as a 3rd grade teacher and I am terrified!!! I'm sure I can do it, but considering all that's happened, my confidence is a little shaken. I feel like it's a miracle that I got a job so quickly, especially since it's the middle of October. God has a plan and I need to trust Him and have the faith that He has in me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-87853039256250958352015-08-01T19:15:00.001-06:002015-08-01T19:15:41.667-06:00My Next Adventure<br /><br />
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Today I hiked to my most favorite waterfall, Bells Canyon. I was with 11 others that I didn't know at all, but it was still fun. We hiked to the upper falls, which I'd never been to before, so that was cool. The best part of it all, besides the waterfall, was using my new hiking sticks. I got some cheap ones from Seagull Books and they were amazing! This is a steep hike with lots of rocks, so it was really nice to have them. I can feel the difference it's made on my joints, especially my knees. I felt like a cheater or an old person using them, but I don't regret it for a second.<br /><br />
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My next adventure starts on Monday. I will be training on "direct instruction," which is a method or style of teaching that many schools use. My school uses it a ton. I've been watching some videos they gave to me to watch and it is overwhelming to think about what will be expected of me. I know as a student I'd be really annoyed with direct instruction methods, but I can see how it works and why they do it. I know next week, I'll be on the student side of things, so I pray for humility and patience as I try to take in everything they are trying to teach me despite how annoyed or overwhelmed I might feel. I'm excited, nervous, and overwhelmed all at the same time. The one sure thing I know, though, is that this is the right school for me. Fortunately, I have experience teaching, even if it was preschool. Even so, the first year is always the hardest. I think the thing I am most worried about is not being a good teacher for these fifth graders who deserve a good teacher, one who knows the stuff and is experienced. I don't want to do them a disservice on account of my lack of experience. I am scared out of my mind of the first day of school when those 10 year olds (not 3-5 year olds) come into my classroom knowing a whole lot more about how things work there than I do. I have so much to learn. I have a feeling I will be doing a whole lot of overtime this month and for the coming months as I figure things out.<br /><br />
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On a brighter note, yesterday I was set apart to work in the Salt Lake Temple!! I'll be working on Saturday nights. I am so excited to serve there every week. It's a beautiful temple with so much history, I love it!<br /><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X0tmTcdaqbY" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-33284081967373277002015-07-26T00:24:00.001-06:002015-07-26T00:24:47.167-06:00Blessings Unmeasured<br /><br />
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I feel so incredibly blessed. This week I got to sing in the Salt Lake Tabernacle as well as the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. A new friend in the ward told me about the Salt Lake Institute choir and I decided to join it this week. Turned out that this was their last week of rehearsal before the concerts this weekend. I miraculously learned 11 songs. Three or four of them I'd already sung before or was familiar with, but the rest, not so much. I absolutely love the songs we sang. I knew after that first and only rehearsal that I needed to sing even if I didn't know all the songs. I've been in quite a few choirs and usually there is at least one song that really hits home and encourages me to keep coming to choir even if I don't feel like it. Well, this time there were several songs that really impressed me. The first is O God, Beneath Thy Guiding Hand. I'd sung this when I did the Semester at Nauvoo Program, so it has a special place in my heart. The second piece is called Hark! Listen to the Trumpeters. Oh. My. Goodness. I LOVE this song. It is an arrangement of the song the men in Zion's Camp sang. The music and the words move my soul, I don't know how else to explain it. It's beautiful. The last of my favorites is called Take Time to Be Holy. This one has such a simple, but powerful, open, vulnerable feeling about it and nearly brought me to tears every time I sang it. After singing in the concert tonight, I felt like I'd just experienced a roller coaster of emotions and it felt amazing and overwhelming at the same time. I am so grateful I could be in the choir this weekend.<br /><br />
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What added to the roller coaster ride today was being so excited to hike and explore around a waterfall again. It was an awesome camping trip. Although guys were invited, none came so it was just 6 girls and it was great. When we left last night we had no idea where we'd be camping, but we found a nice place really quickly up in the Unitas off of Mirror Lake Highway.<br /><br />
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When I got home, I discovered that a letter I'd been waiting for came into the mail. Good news!! I received my eligibility letter for participating in the Alternative Route to Licensure Program from the Utah State of Education. It means I didn't have to take the US history class that I'm currently enrolled in, but it's okay. I can't express how much this means for me. I have a job and now I have the letter that says I can move forward to begin the process of getting my teaching license. It's just one more thing that has amazingly fallen into place. I feel so blessed and grateful.<br /><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FC8VEJZwKDM" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-24871891218224658072015-07-18T18:08:00.001-06:002015-07-18T18:08:18.542-06:00Ain't It Grand?Ever since I moved to my new place in Millcreek, I've been looking at those mountains longingly to hike them. Today was the day and it felt amazing! I went with one of my best friends and it couldn't have been better. I can't wait to get back up that canyon to explore some more.<br /><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xctsyYDdTZI" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-83523392350551524552015-07-11T16:23:00.001-06:002015-07-11T16:23:18.956-06:00Hobbler Half Marathon 2015I did it! I actually did it!! I ran a half marathon. The hardest part probably was the lack of as many mile markers for the second half of the course. Once I got to mile 11 and had a random person cheering for me at the last water station, I got emotional realizing that I was almost done. Then, to my surprise, I found one of my good friends and running buddy Lela waiting for me so she could run the last mile of the race with me. I didn't expect that at all, so it was really awesome. I made some new running friends today that do lots of fun things together, so I will most likely keep running and maybe even run another half marathon! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I love running. :)<br /><br />
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FpaH97nya80" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-22281641773273850372015-06-26T10:59:00.001-06:002015-06-26T10:59:19.222-06:00Moving ForwardSo, by 4:45 tonight I have to have everything packed and ready for things to be moved tomorrow. Crazy! My apartment is going to be so empty! I have some things I need to do here on Sunday, so I will spend Sunday and Monday here and then... I'll be leaving Utah County! I've lived in Utah County for over 10 years, so it's a little weird to be moving up north, but I'm excited. This week I've explored a little around my new apartment and have already found my new favorite Chinese place there. That's important, right? haha Whenever I'm at the new apartment I dread going back to Provo not just because of the awful drive. It's already starting to feel like my new home, which is awesome. I'm also looking forward to exploring the nearby canyons! The mountains aren't as big there, but there is still plenty to explore. Now I just need to find some new hiking buddies....<br /><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i0fqZkNbafc" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-32793267741451992382015-06-20T09:28:00.001-06:002015-06-20T09:28:25.256-06:00A Fresh StartWell, today is day one of leaving Happy Valley and moving to Salt Lake City. All of my Christmas village and decorations and other things are all packed up and ready to go. You know when I load up my Christmas village, it's the real deal. Even though this has all happened so quickly, I feel at peace and very excited to start on this new adventure. New place, new job, a fresh start. I have LOVED living here. It's probably my most favorite place that I've ever lived in Utah. It's been a place of healing, discovery, and happiness. I am so grateful for all of my friends here who have really become like family to me more than any other ward has. Things here have been fantastic, so leaving so quickly is difficult, but I've seen how Heavenly Father has made everything fall into place. He has given me the peaceful assurance that this is the right thing to do. I still have my moments where I am scared out of my mind, but I know it will all be okay. I think besides my friends and my apartment, the thing I will miss the most here is running on the Provo River Trail and being kind of on the outskirts of the city. I won't be waking up to ducks quacking outside my window in Salt Lake! I had no idea when I started my half marathon training that it would also be a countdown of my weeks in Provo. It's crazy, but life is good!<br /><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yaSnXcf3sus" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-73675543267682462552015-06-10T17:04:00.001-06:002015-06-10T17:04:26.229-06:00I'm Graduating Preschool!I just wrote my resignation letter informing Head Start that I will not be returning to work with them next year. As I started to write it, all the memories and learning experiences I've had over the past 6 years of working at Head Start rushed over me. I still can't believe it. My head has been spinning these past few days just thinking about everything. I'm excited, but also scared out of my mind.
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<br>On Monday, I accepted a position to teach 5TH GRADE at American Preparatory Academy, a charter school in West Valley City. You're probably thinking I'm crazy for skipping five grades. Well, you're probably right. I will not move from Provo. Instead I'll be taking the front runner and TRAX as often as I can until further notice. I wouldn't have accepted it except that this school is exceptional in that they already have everything I need to be a successful 5th grade teacher. Curriculum, lesson plans, materials... They already have them prepared. I observed several classes, 1st grade and 6th grade, and was very impressed by their quality and organization. The school runs like a well-oiled machine. They have high standards for teachers and students, but they all work to make an atmosphere of continual improvement and learning. Everyone has a coach to help them, so I will have someone there to help me as I learn the ways and methods of a new school. They use something called direct instruction to teach. It's very impressive to see how much the kids can learn using that method. It will be like learning a new language of teaching.
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<br>The only reason I can go from teaching preschool to 5th grade is because I am getting my teaching license through Utah's Alternative Route to Licensure program. I applied last week and should soon get a letter telling me what classes I need to take to become eligible to participate in the program. It should just be a history class, which I am enrolled in right now, but maybe not. Once I'm eligible, now that I have a job that qualifies, I will start taking additional classes and the PRAXIS exam to earn my license. I will have 3 years to get it. It will be a lot of hard work, but I am determined to get it!
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<br>I'm still wrapping my mind around teaching 9-11 year-olds rather than 3-5 year-olds. Ironically, fifth grade was my least favorite in elementary school because I didn't like my teacher. She was mean and yelled a lot. She even threw a chair at a student. I promise I won't do that. I cringe thinking about how I was at that age. Oh man. I felt a little better after when I was at Barnes and Noble today and I looked at the section for 9-12 year-olds. I saw a lot of art related stuff including stuff that I remember loving at that age- stuff to make bracelets, cool pens, and materials to make cool designs. It brought back lots of good memories. I also looked at the books they read and saw many of my favorites- A Wrinkle in Time, Harry Potter, and The Hobbit, to name a few. While I was there I couldn't help but look at the younger kids' books. I found so many that I would have bought if I were still teaching preschool or even kindergarten. Changing my perspective and learning a whole new way of teaching will be very challenging, but I'm excited to start on my new adventure. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-76609038052395892022015-06-01T19:36:00.001-06:002015-06-01T19:36:33.172-06:00Kelly's Take VegasOn Saturday we drove our cars, so we didn’t have to walk as much, but it<br />
was still a lot of walking. We went to the Las Vegas sign and then we <br />
tried to find a free aquarium for Tyler to see animals, but the one we <br />
went to wasn’t free, so we didn’t go. I think I just got the hotel <br />
wrong. We didn’t want to be driving back and forth to see things either.<br />
But at that hotel there was a really cool waterfall in front! We then <br />
went to the Venetian to go to where Cake Boss’ Carlos has a bakery. We <br />
got some treats there and it was super yummy. We rode a short tram and <br />
then walked a little around Treasure Island before splitting up. Tyler <br />
wanted to have “family swim time,” so they went back and did that while <br />
me, Ryan, Dad, and Mom went to the Luxor to see the Body World and <br />
Titanic Exhibits. It was expensive, but absolutely worth it! Seeing real<br />
human bodies seems like it would be weird or gross, but they did it <br />
tastefully and I loved it. I learned a lot. I think my favorite part of <br />
the exhibit was the part where it has real fetuses at the different <br />
stages of life. As sensitive and sad it is to think about it, it was <br />
really interesting to see what a fetus really looks like at those <br />
different weeks. They grow so fast!! The Titanic exhibit was really <br />
cool, too. We each got names of actually passengers and at the end we <br />
found out that all of us survived except for Dad, who was a third class <br />
person. The exhibit had parts that replicated the actual ship and it was<br />
really impressive. At then end they had a huge piece of the actual <br />
Titanic that they’d brought out of the ocean. It made everything else <br />
seem so real. On Saturday night, Ryan and I went to the Penn & <br />
Teller magic show. It was really fun. We’d seen many of their tricks <br />
before, but it was cool to see them in person.<br /><br />Sunday morning we <br />
cleaned up the place and then Mom, Ryan and I played a quick game of <br />
Ticket to Ride. I won by a lot. haha. We all left by 11 am. Overall, it was a fantastic weekend with my family! I miss them already!<br /><br />
Here is the video of Day 2.<br /><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0D3_WZii1aQ" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-60476106358210354432015-06-01T19:33:00.001-06:002015-06-01T19:33:40.568-06:00One Take Tyler: Las Vegas Is WeirdTyler's opinion of Las Vegas at the end of Day 1.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B6I-x9nAQ6A" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-1074056446225593502015-06-01T19:32:00.001-06:002015-06-01T19:32:46.820-06:00What Happens In Vegas...<br /><br />
Vegas was a lot of fun and exhausting. I’d never been so it was kind of overwhelming. The strip was a lot different than I expected (less porn and much cleaner). I could explain more but you’ve most likely have been there, so you know what it’s like already. On Friday afternoon, I went swimming with Tyler at the hotel pools. There were 3 pools and several spas, one with a few small waterfalls. They also had a lazy river. I helped Tyler practice holding his breath under water and floating. We also played hide and seek. He did a really good job about getting in and everything. I was really surprised actually. Steven had his car show thing, so the rest of us went down to the strip to see stuff. We went to M&M World, Hershey’s, and then walked all the way to the Bellagio fountain to watch the short show there. There were 25 MILLION M&Ms in those tubes in the picture and that Liberty statue is made all of chocolate. There were two others made of jelly beans and licorice. They also had a ton of different kinds of Reese’s. The ones in the picture are half a pound each! Crazy! It doesn’t seem like it’s that far down the street, but the way they have you go to avoid intersections, we ended up going on lots of elevators and escalators. I’ve never been on so many elevators and escalators on one trip, let alone in one night! We also had to go through a tunnel and over a couple bridges. Needless to say, Mom and Dad (especially Dad) had a hard time walking, but they did it. There were so many people out, especially as it got later. It was kind of cool to see all the people dressed up really fancy to go out on the town to a club or something. I only ever see that in movies. It was also interesting walking through the casinos with all the tables that people sit at and play card games and gamble. I’ve only ever seen that in movies, too. There were some weird people on the street. There were a bunch of guys dressed up as all the Avengers and then Spiderman. Spiderman was super bold asking for 10-20 dollars for Tyler to take a picture with them. Yeah, right.<br /><br />Here is the video of Day 1.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cqs-WkBSKnk" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-40075647490408715442015-05-25T18:11:00.001-06:002015-05-25T18:11:47.919-06:00Memorial Day 2015Okay, I know you don't really watch these videos, but I love making them, so here it is. Today I was able to hike in my most favorite canyon called Slide Canyon in Provo. Even though I'm already out of work and everyday is kind of a holiday now, it was so nice to spend the day with my friends. I didn't have a BBQ to go to, so instead I went with a few of my friends to Red Robin. Yum!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5dTlQ282j54" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-20116332191150167232015-05-23T17:21:00.001-06:002015-05-23T17:21:00.867-06:00Buffalo PeakThis morning I went on a hike to Buffalo Peak with a multi-stake mid-singles group. I'm not 31 yet, but recently I've felt like I need to start going to mid-singles activities just to branch out and meet new people. A went to a BBQ a few weeks ago and I've gone to a couple of the local mid-singles' ward FHEs. I also sang in a multi-stake fireside last Sunday. It was an awesome fireside- exactly what I needed! Today was the hike and tonight I am going to a fancy dinner. I'm really enjoying it all. :)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7AHnQwyufqA" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-86381214064936403672015-05-16T22:13:00.001-06:002015-05-16T22:13:44.183-06:00It's OverIt's hard to believe, but the school year is finally over. It's been a really long year, and at the same time I feel like the end of the year snuck up on me. Everything this week went better than expected. I managed to finish the videos for the kids without having to stay up late any night this week. I didn't run into any problems, unlike in past years. We had water day this week, a movie/PJ/toy day, and then the last day of school. It was a lot of fun for the kids. I'm kind of glad we had the extra day of school this week because it gave me more time to get done what I needed to by the last day. My staff is amazing and helped me get it all done. On the last day the kids sang a couple of songs and then I showed the video I made for each class. The kids seemed to like it. I got emotional in both classes mainly because as hard as these kids were this year, I loved them so much and I will always remember them.<br /><br />
<br /><br />
In a way, I'm hoping to graduate preschool this year, too. I'll be busy this summer taking a class and applying for the ARL and beginning that process. It will be a lot of work for the next 3 years, but it will be absolutely worth it!! I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen. I have a few road trips and lots of hikes planned for the summer, too. And, of course, I'll still be training for the half marathon. It will be so nice to have a break! I love being a teacher! :)<br /><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9mip-RazhNY" width="459"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674304854802845158.post-86148082977144766672015-05-09T14:49:00.001-06:002015-05-09T14:49:46.862-06:00Here Goes Nothing<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JCdYzOEf4aA" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0