Spring is in the air...

I have often heard teachers being criticized for complaining about the long wait for summer. Those who voice that criticism will often say things like, "How nice it must be to get paid to have a 3 month long vacation," or "I really feel sorry for someone who gets done with work by 3:00pm. " For those who have ever felt to criticize a teacher, let me explain to you how the last couple of days have gone for me. I don't do this to complain, but only to educate.

I get to school about 20 minutes before my students come into that classroom. In that time, I try to check my email, pick up my copies, and prepare my classroom to welcome 30 students for the day. When 1st period starts at 8:10, I try keep my 30 students safe and on task as they run around the room, hit each other, call each other names, draw on stuff that is not their own, and steal items from members of the opposite gender (7th graders are just learning the subtle art of flirting.) On a good day, by 8:20, students are in their assigned seats, have their bell assignment done, and I can begin the day's discussion.


Once the class has settled down, I have 35 minutes to teach them everything I can about History. I must make sure they retain the new information, remember the information from the day before, and meet all of the state standards while teaching them in fun and innovative ways because if I don't make it interesting, the students begin to talk and hit and draw on stuff that is not their own and steal items from members of the opposite gender. 3 minutes before the end of class, students, who can't figure out when class is supposed to start but knows when it is supposed to end, will begin to pack up and go stand by the door, whether I am still teaching or not. The bell will ring, and I have 5 minutes to prepare for the next 30 students, answer any questions on missing and absent assignments, and try to keep the next 30 students safe and on task as they run around the room, hit each other, call each other names, draw on stuff that is not their own, and steal items from members of the opposite gender. This pattern repeats itself for the next couple of periods and then comes blessed lunch.

For lunch I have 45 minutes to clean up my room and prepare for my 9th graders who are a different content than the 7th graders. I must update attendance, run to the copy room, and get to the cafeteria and hope that the food they are serving is edible. After making my way through 600 students, I get my lunch and head for the faculty lounge. In the faculty lounge I scarf down my lunch and try to relax for 3 minutes before having to fight through the hallway crowded with students back to my portable to begin class again.

9th graders begin class a little differently. I try to keep students safe and on task as they complain about the weather, write on things that don't belong to them, make comments that inappropriate at any age but especially in Jr. High, and make fun of those sitting around them, all while I try to tell students what their missing and absent assignments are, and try to keep the students out of my personal space. Then I try to teach them about Geography while they complain that I don't do anything fun, and they have too many assignments. They are tired of taking notes, my games are dumb, they don't want to read or do assignments, and they think the movies I show are boring.

There are some students that I have just given up on getting them to do their assignments because after telling them 3 times to get to work, I decide it is no longer worth my effort; but I still must deal with the upset parents wondering why their perfect child is failing my class. Others come and ask me each day what they can do for extra credit. I fail to grasp why they think they will be able to get extra credit done when they can't finish their regular assignments.

When the blessed bell rings to end school at 2:55, I try to make some semblance of my disaster area desk. Respond to all the emails that I have received during the day, and correct the thousands of assignments my students have turned in. If I don't correct an assignment right away, students will ask me everyday when their grade will be updated. I only have to stay at school until 3:15 according to my contract, but many nights, I stay until 4 or 5:00pm in order to get things done. I then go home with my mind a mush from the day's activities, and get to start over again the next day.

Don't get me wrong. I love working with my students, and I can't imagine doing anything else, but when someone asks me how long it is until summer break and I can tell them how many days, class periods, and hours, please don't criticize me. Remember that teachers do not get paid to have summers off, but only for the 180 contract days during contract hours that they work. Anything above that is done out of the goodness of their hearts. Teachers get to spend everyday with 100s of students and try to teach them things that they won't learn anywhere else, all the while keeping religion, morals, and values out of the classroom so not to offend anyone. Spring is in the air. Students are crazy, teachers are worn out, and the countdown for summer has begun. Teachers need those 3 months. Without them, we would really see some crazy people in education - more than what we have now!

Change is an ever constant...

Time to update everyone on my life. I have been teaching Utah Studies and Geography at Syracuse Jr. High this past year. I have loved it, but am definitely counting down the days until summer vacation. I plan on spending about a month in Washington, a week at EFY, and a a few days in California at Disneyland. But now let me update everyone on my situation.

There is a new Jr. High school that is opening up near my house. Because of it's opening, Syracuse Jr. High is losing a good number of students, therefore a good number of teachers are being displaced. Since I have only been at the district for one year, I was on the top of the list of teachers to get the boot. The district told me that they would try to place me, but with budget cuts, and all sorts of other stuff going on, I began to get worried that I wouldn't have a job for next year. I had interviewed at a couple of places, without catching a break and getting a job offer. I was starting to get very discouraged.


Finally I caught a break. Yesterday I interviewed for a position teaching just Geography at Central Davis Jr. High in Layton. The school is about 10-15 minutes away from my house. After the interview I was resigned to the fact that I probably would not get the job, and today the principal called me. They were impressed with my interview and wanted to offer me a job before anyone else could.

I'm not saying this to brag, because I am the first to admit that I am a long way away from being a really good teacher, but I'm grateful that the Lord is watching out for me. It is a tender mercy that I got a job when others are still looking or getting laid off. I'm grateful to have been given the chance to teach at Syracuse Jr. High so that I was able to learn the way Jr. High works. I'm grateful to be teaching Geography again next year so that I can just improve what I have done this year and not have to start over from scratch with a new curriculum. I feel extremely blessed to be given this job. Now I will be able to enjoy the rest of the school year and my summer without the "unknown" hanging over my head.

So I'm going from a Seahawk to a Cub. I love bears! I'll have to bring my teddy bear collection in to decorate my room. The only downside to this is that I will still be in Jr. High, and the school colors are purple. I'll just have to get used to that I guess. I bleed blue, but I can appreciate purple too. :)

It's Time to Celebrate!

So remember how I used to update my blog all of the time? Well, I've been so busy with life that I don't update. I also run out of things to say now that I can get up on a soap box everyday in front of my students. :) I decided that it was about time to write again. After this week, and I know that it is only Thursday, I am ready to have something to celebrate. One thing to celebrate is that one week from today I will be making my annual pilgrimage to the holy land (aka Disneyland!) But next week seems very far away, so I decided that it is time to look at the list of holidays and find something to celebrate today!

Happy National Cheez Doodle Day! So I really don't know what a Cheez Doodle is, so I went to the source of all knowledge (Google) and found that it is basically Cheetos. In fact they look exactly the same, but I've never had a Cheez Doodle before. I guess I'm going to have to go to the store and see if I can find any. But if you are like me, and really don't know where you are going to find Cheez Doodles in time to celebrate, do not panic. There is something more to celebrate.

Happy Mother-in-Law Day! I don't have a mother-in-law, but as I look at the in-laws that I have, I think of how grateful I am for them to be in my family. It seems like they have always been a part of my family, so I am glad my siblings picked some
winners. I would also like to thank my future mother-in-law for doing such a fabulous job at raising my future husband. They say the longer you wait, the better the return, so I'm expecting someone fabulous as a husband, so his mother should be just as fabulous. I'd like to encourage her to light a fire under him to get his rear in gear and start dating me, but I'll be patient for a LITTLE longer. :)

Well I know that I feel better about this week now. I still might stop and get some sparkling juice so that I can celebrate Champagne Thursday, but if I run out of time, at least there are other things to celebrate today. I hope that all of you enjoy celebrating. Tomorrow (Friday) is National Frozen Food Day, so make sure you get something that will require you to re-heat for dinner tomorrow. It will be a DELICIOUS day!

Halloween Pictures

My nephew Talmage hase been asking me to put pictures of my Halloween costume on my blog. I was Flora from Sleeping Beauty. Hopefully now that my pictures are up, my two siblings who have not posted Halloween costume pictures will finally post some. :)

Yes, I am alive, and mostly well...

I know that it has been forever since I last posted. I have been busy with school, and church, and stuff. Usually I don't have time to post while I am at school, and when I get home, I have no desire to be on the computer. Teaching is going well. I've only had one mental breakdown day. 9th graders can be such jerks, but after an email sent to all the parents of the bad class, the students have been a little better. The reason I am mostly well is that I have come down with a cold. I figure I have done well since I was able to make it through my first 2 1/2 months of teaching without getting sick. I am loving teaching, although some days are better than others. Today's activity went mostly well, and I always get a thrill when I realize that my students have learned something in my class. I hope all of you are doing well. I can't wait for the holidays when I will get to see some of you!

Happy Constitution Day!

On this day in 1787, the Constitution was signed in Independence Hall in Pennsylvania. In honor of this day and this document, here is some interesting trivia about the document. It has 4,440 words, and is the oldest and shortest constitution of any government in the world. Probably the most glaring misspelling in the Constitution is the word "Pensylvania" above the signers' names. For those of you who do not know, it should be spelled Pennsylvania. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams did not sign the Constitution. Jefferson was in France at the Time, and Adams was in Great Britain. Patrick Henry who said, "Give me liberty of give me death," was elected as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, but declined, because he "smelt a rat." Because of his poor health, Benjamin Franklin needed help to sign the Constitution. As he did so, tears streamed down his face. Benjamin Franklin at age 81, was the oldest person to sign the Constitution, the youngest was Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey. He was 26. The fist national Thanksgiving Day was established by George Washington on November 26, 1789. The reason for the holiday was to give "thanks" for the new Constitution. George Washington and James Madison were the only presidents who signed the Constitution. James Madison was the only delegate to attend every meeting. It took 100 days to actually "frame" the Constitution. I'm so grateful for this document that protects our freedoms and liberties. Read the Constitution, know it, and elect leaders that will continue to support it!

May We Never Forget...

Seven years ago today, our country was attacked by forces intent on causing terror and chaos. Seven years ago today, our country showed its true colors and united together against those who would seek to destroy us. After seven years, I wonder how much we remember of that day. I'm sure that most of you remember where you were when you heard the news about the World Trade Center falling, or the Pentagon being hit, or even the plane going down in Pennsylvania, but what else do you remember?

When I was in New York City this last summer, I had the opportunity to go to Ground Zero. I saw the hole that is left in place of where the towers once stood. I ate lunch at a Pizzeria that was right across the street. I witnessed the damage that is still scarring the sides of buildings in the area. I saw the monument that was erected for those who gave their lives, and those whose lives were affected. I witnessed people sobbing on the street and asking why and how something like this could ever happen. Seven years after the attack, and people are still weeping for those whose lives were lost - lives of strangers who were lost.

I was humbled by what I witnessed in New York City that day. The monument issued an invitation to all people. It said, "Dedicated to those who fell, and those who carry on. May we never forget." I hope that we never forget those feelings that we felt that day and in the months that followed. The country was united. People helped each other and served each other. Everyone was a little kinder and thought of themselves a little less. I wish that we could remember. I wish that as a people we would remember those feelings.

It is hard to remember charity in an election year. I for one feel frustrated and upset with where things are going, and I don't have very kind feelings towards liberals right now. But I remember 9-ll, I remember that it didn't matter to what party you were affiliated with, all that mattered was who was American. That is really all that maters. We can still have our opinions towards those running for office, but the unkind feelings that I feel, are lessened when I think that each candidate truly does love American and is trying to the best that he or she can. Does it really matter in the end who ends up as our president? Of course it does, but I am reminded today that no matter who is elected, freedoms and liberties will go on, because that is what the American people fight for, desire, and deserve. I love this country, and I'm grateful for those who are willing to give their lives for liberty.