3rd Grade

Well, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Unexpected Detour

**This is incredibly long, so if you scan through it, I won't be offended, haha**

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

My Next Adventure

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.



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.



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!

Blessings Unmeasured

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.



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.



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.

Ain'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.

Hobbler Half Marathon 2015

I 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. :)

Moving Forward

So, 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....

A Fresh Start

Well, 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!

I'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.

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.

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!

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. :)

Kelly's Take Vegas

On Saturday we drove our cars, so we didn’t have to walk as much, but it
was still a lot of walking. We went to the Las Vegas sign and then we
tried to find a free aquarium for Tyler to see animals, but the one we
went to wasn’t free, so we didn’t go. I think I just got the hotel
wrong. We didn’t want to be driving back and forth to see things either.
But at that hotel there was a really cool waterfall in front! We then
went to the Venetian to go to where Cake Boss’ Carlos has a bakery. We
got some treats there and it was super yummy. We rode a short tram and
then walked a little around Treasure Island before splitting up. Tyler
wanted to have “family swim time,” so they went back and did that while
me, Ryan, Dad, and Mom went to the Luxor to see the Body World and
Titanic Exhibits. It was expensive, but absolutely worth it! Seeing real
human bodies seems like it would be weird or gross, but they did it
tastefully and I loved it. I learned a lot. I think my favorite part of
the exhibit was the part where it has real fetuses at the different
stages of life. As sensitive and sad it is to think about it, it was
really interesting to see what a fetus really looks like at those
different weeks. They grow so fast!! The Titanic exhibit was really
cool, too. We each got names of actually passengers and at the end we
found out that all of us survived except for Dad, who was a third class
person. The exhibit had parts that replicated the actual ship and it was
really impressive. At then end they had a huge piece of the actual
Titanic that they’d brought out of the ocean. It made everything else
seem so real. On Saturday night, Ryan and I went to the Penn &
Teller magic show. It was really fun. We’d seen many of their tricks
before, but it was cool to see them in person.

Sunday morning we
cleaned up the place and then Mom, Ryan and I played a quick game of
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!

Here is the video of Day 2.

One Take Tyler: Las Vegas Is Weird

Tyler's opinion of Las Vegas at the end of Day 1.

What Happens In Vegas...

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.

Here is the video of Day 1.

Memorial Day 2015

Okay, 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!

Buffalo Peak

This 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. :)

It's Over

It'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.



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! :)

Here Goes Nothing

Spring!

Week 12: Submarine?

Almost Done!

It's hard to believe that the school year is almost done! I have one more "real" week of school and then the last two weeks are cleaning and preparing for the last day. The kids are definitely ready for school to be done. They are going CRAZY!! We began distilling lavender oil in the room and that has calm them down a bit. I know my patience has worn a bit thinner lately and at least it's helped me!

I've been a bit more stressed this week because it's parent teacher conferences this week and next week. It's always a little stressful because I have to be honest, but tactful with them about their kids. I have had most of my kids for two years now, so it's also hard to believe that this will be the last time I'll be meeting with the parents. The other reason I've been stressing is because I've been thinking about where I might apply to work once I complete the class I need to in order to qualify for the alternative route to licensure program. I don't know why I've been thinking about it so much because I am only on lesson 2 of 16! I still have a ways to go before I'm done and can really do what I need to do. I think it might be because I now know that I have more options that I originally thought as to where I could apply.



And can I just say, I LOVE working in the temple. I look forward to it every week. I am meeting some really great people there and learning so much. I am so grateful the opportunity to do this right now in my life.

Week 10: The Trail Ends Here

It's crazy to think that I'm half way through training for a half marathon and yet I am able to run more than half that distance now. It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it. I love that I live so close to the Provo River Trail. I've only just started running on it and I'm hooked. I ran to where it ends or begins, depending on how you look at it. I think it would be cool to run the whole thing from beginning to end someday, but I don't know if I could. We'll see!

Spring Break!

Spring break was a much needed vacation. I went hiking, played with puppies, ran, and watched lots of the TV show Lost. I love that show. This week gave me the taste of summer that I needed so I can make it through these last 5 weeks of school. I will survive until summer, I think. ;)

Week 8: General Conference

Week 7: Beautiful Day

This week has been super stressful, so it was really nice to go for a long run today. I am so grateful for the early spring!! It's really helped as well. With the end of the school year fast approaching, I have to start thinking about end of school things I have to do, including performance evaluations, child assessments, and end of the year purchases. It seems like EVERYTHING has to be done before spring break, which is coming up in a week. Thank goodness! I need it. Even though it's stressful to get everything done, it will be nice to go on spring break knowing that it's all done. It will be really hard to come back to work on Monday, especially with this amazing spring weather! I want summer!! Fortunately, there will be only about 5 weeks left after spring break- all down hill from there.

Running this morning really made me want to just leave everything and go backpacking somewhere. The mountains are calling my name. I want to keep up my training, so it will be difficult to do anything besides run on the weekends until work is out for the summer. Although, I just might have to give into the temptation to hike some Saturday because I REALLY want to go hiking again and it's best to go with friends.

I got sick this week with the minor flu. I usually get sick around February or March, so it's so surprise that it happened, just annoying. It think the stress of work didn't help. Fortunately, despite not running a couple days this week, I was still able to run 7 miles today just fine. This week I ran to my church building and looped back. It was safer than last week's 7 mile adventure. 7 miles. It's still hard to believe I can run that without difficulty now. It's a little more than half the distance I will have to run in the half marathon in July. I know it's still far away, but I'm glad I'm training for it this way. Slow and steady wins the race!

Oh, and update on the dating online thing. I let my subscription expire. I didn't get anything from it except maybe a little more self-confidence and self-awareness. It wasn't all that bad. I feel like I can't complain about dating anymore though because meeting and getting to know people in person seems to be the better option for me. So many of my friends have recently started dating people that I can't help but wonder how they do it. Seriously, I haven't a clue. I've never really had a real dating relationship before, so it's a mysterious process to me. Sad, but true. I have to keep myself from being jealous and just keep putting myself out there as much as I can. My day will come. I haven't given up hope. Overall things are actually going really well for me right now, so I am happy. :)

Week 6: The Road Less Traveled

Week 5: Pi Day!

Week 4: Bad Banana

Here Goes Nothing...

For those of you who are tired of me posting videos, you'll be happy to see that this post doesn't include a video. I figured it's been a while since I've actually written a post. I know not very many people really read this, but for those of you who do, here goes nothing...

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I've started to work in the Provo Temple. Tomorrow night I begin training to work upstairs as an ordinance worker. I'll work upstairs for a couple hours and then go downstairs to the baptistry for a couple hours. I've always dreamed of becoming a temple worker, so I'm so excited to finally have the opportunity to serve. Yeah, it takes away a date night, but, let's be honest, how often do I actually go on dates? Anyway, I feel like it will be time well spent and worth whatever sacrifices I may have to make as I work there.

I'm busier than I've been in a long time, doing all good things, of course. Every night I have something. I like it that way. I realized a while ago that when I didn't have things planned, I wasted my time doing... nothing. Having things each night forces me to use the time I have more wisely. It also gives me something to look forward to each day. Recently I've also been reading a lot more. I was introduced to the author Brandon Sanderson and I love his books!! I've already read two of them and I'm now working on The Way of Kings, which is a really long one.

Currently, my church callings are ward and stake family history co-chair. I LOVE it! I do miss going to Sunday School each week (because I have a family history class at that time), but I really enjoy helping people begin researching or indexing. It's fun to be a part of something that the Church is really emphasizing right now and seeing all the new fun programs being created to help make family history easier.

Even though the children I teach have seemed more difficult this year, I still LOVE my job. The past couple of weeks I've had so many moments with the kids while teaching them or playing with them that remind me why I love being a preschool teacher. I love my kids and can't wait to have some of my own.

With that being said, this past week I've been thinking a lot about my job and where I intend to go with it. My home teacher asked me what my career plan was and then I had a discussion with my aunt about it a few days later. On my drive from CA this past weekend, I had a lot of time to think about the things they said. I've looked into somethings and decided that my career goal is to work as a preschool (or kindergarten) teacher in a public school. Seems simple enough, right? Well, not exactly. I graduated from BYU with a BS in Marriage, Family, Human Development. I had no desire and no intention to be a teacher. In fact, in high school I was determined that I wouldn't be a teacher because it seemed like every girl wanted to be a teacher as if that was the only profession a woman could have. I wanted to go against the grain. Well, so much for that. After graduation, preschool teaching was suggested to me by a friend. I was desperate, so I applied even though I had no experience and didn't know if I'd like it. Now, 6 school years later, I've come to love it.

What I don't love is the pay. I get paid less than half a regular teacher. Honestly, if I had a family, I would qualify to send my kids to Head Start. That's just sad. I do have good benefits, though. :) But I want more. I hate literally living pay check to pay check being unable to save any money. With budget cuts, I'm being paid even less than I was a couple of years ago, and that's even with a 3% raise I got last year. I always owe taxes each year, too. It stinks.

So, something needs to change. Some schools in this area are now offering preschool as part of their elementary program. In order to teach preschool (or kindergarten) in a public school, I have to have a teaching license. Having not studied education at BYU, there are only a couple of options for me to get this license. First, go back to school. Either get a masters in Education or get another BS in Early Childhood Education. Second, do the Alternative Route to Licensure (ARL) program. ARL is a process where the Utah State Education looks at my transcripts to see if I've taken enough of the right classes to qualify me to become a licensed teacher. Once I'm deemed qualified, I look for a job in a teaching position. Once I'm hired, a plan is created for me to take the necessary classes I'd need to become a licensed teacher. I'd have to take the Praxis II exam as well.

One problem. After looking at my transcripts to see if I'd qualify, I discovered that I am literally ONE credit shy of meeting the minimum credit requirement. That means I'd have to take a class- either political science or Math- before I can even apply for the ARL.

If you haven't already guessed, I'm going with the second option- mainly because it will be cheaper and quicker than going back to school for a masters or another BS. Taking the one class through BYU independent study will cost about $650. All totaled, to get my license, it will likely cost at least $1,000. That is much cheaper than going back to school. Granted, I don't know how much the classes will cost to take while doing the ARL, but at least I'd already be teaching in the school at that time. So now I just have to somehow save all that money. I don't know how, but it's my new goal.

Okay, now to the other thing I kind of mentioned. Dating. I succumbed to my friends' suggestions to try out online dating... again. I'd tried it a few years ago and it was a terrible experience summed up in three words- wierdos and creeps. Since I don't have anything to lose, I thought I would give it an honest second chance. I signed up on two online dating sites, different ones than I did a few years ago. So far it has been a much different experience. I'm not getting the wierdos and creeps, which is nice. However, the profile picture I originally put up brought a lot of attention from the wrong kinds of guys. It definitely boosted my confidence in my looks, but those are not the kinds of guys I want to date. I also seem to attract people from other races. It's not a bad thing, I just am not really interested in dating someone from a different race. (Please don't take that the wrong way, I'm not racist, I promise.) It was more from one of the sites than the other.

The other thing I noticed is that online dating seems to be the polar opposite of meeting and dating in person. They are so bold and nearly overbearing when it comes to wanting to date seriously and get married. Whenever a guy says (in his profile or in the midst of a conversation) that what he is doing for fun is just focusing on finding a girlfriend or someone to marry or when he says that he really wants to have the experience of becoming a father, I think to myself, isn't that why we are all on here? You don't need to keep saying it. And you seriously should not put your life on hold to look for someone to date and marry. You should have goals, live your life and enjoy it. When they say the obvious in the conversations, it seems to put more pressure on the whole conversation, making it really hard to build the possible friendship that could happen. Going from strangers to dating is just not going to happen. At least not for me anyway. Sorry.

There are pros and cons to online dating. The two edge sword is that you can message, chat, or flirt with someone and they can choose to respond or not. They can also choose to stop talking to you whenever if they decide they have learned enough about you to not be interested. You can't get too hurt because you've never met them and there are others you can talk to. I've received messages and invites to chat that I've completely ignored as well, so I totally understand that guys would do the same to me. Because I'm giving it an honest chance, I've sent many messages and flirts. I've not received many responses, but at least I'm trying.

Since I started online dating, I feel more confident in who I am and in my appearance. I am who I am and it doesn't matter if someone likes me for it or not. To know that there are guys that I do attract, some really good ones, is a real confidence booster. I've found that I have greater confidence when I'm talking (and flirting) with guys in person and with that confidence I'm happier overall. I think it's because I have a better idea of what I want. I also have a better idea of how I can talk to guys to get to know them better. I'm only trying this online dating thing for a month, but I've learned a lot in the little bit of time I've done it. 

I had to ultimately disable my account on the one site because I was feeling so uneasy about the kinds of guys that were messaging me. I feel okay continuing the other one until my month subscription ends. We shall see what happens with it. Here goes nothing...

Week 3: Running From Home

Week 2: It's Official

Week 1: I HATE Running!

Nom Nom Nom

This week was incredibly long and hard. As much as I know Utah needs the snow, I'm grateful for the mild winter this year. It's nice to have some days like today where it's nice enough to go on a little adventure up in the canyon. This canyon is one that is easily seen from where I live and I've always wanted to go explore it. I didn't know until today that it's called Slate Canyon. We didn't go very far this tie, but I plan on going again. This place must be gorgeous in the spring and in the fall. It was nice to hang out with friends and get some fresh air.





Besides this hike, this week I've decided that I want to do a 10 K this summer. I've been running every day and I think that I could do it by then. It gives me something to work for and look forward to.





The other super exciting thing happening is that I am going to start working in the temple! On February 13 it will be 5 years since I was endowed in the LDS temple. I've always wanted to serve as a ordinance worker there and now I've been blessed with the opportunity and the time to do so.

MLK Day

Etiwanda Falls

I loved being home with my family for the holidays. It was wonderful. I'm sure you guys don't watch all these videos I post. I totally understand. I'm sorry if you're sick of them. I just love making videos like this. While I was home I made 6 videos, 3 of which I co-edited with my brother Steven, who also does videos. It was a ton of fun. I also really loved holding my new nephew. He's so cute. Much of the break was spent playing Mario Cart with my brother and nephew. I'm still not that great, but I'm definitely improving!

I can't express how grateful I am for all the blessings I've received this past year. I've done many more things than I ever imagined I would this past year-losing about 27 pounds being one of them.

I've been thinking a lot about how merciful God is in blessing me with so many things despite my imperfections. I've wondered how it is I can ask for more blessings, including a best friend and husband, when He has already blessed me with so much. I'm definitely a beggar like is talked about in Mosiah 4 in The Book of Mormon. I am in so great a debt to Him and nothing I can do will ever repay that debt. But then I keep asking for more!! But I know that He commands us to ask and He promises we will receive. It's all so amazing to me. I know He hears my prayers. I want to be a better disciple to show my gratitude for all the blessings He has given me. I'm looking forward to another amazing year!

It's Snow Beautiful!

Big Falls