"Don't wait...

...until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident, and more and more successful." -Mark Victor Hansen

Here's the deal. A few days after my last post, my mother died. It was a huge shock and completely out of nowhere. Since then, I spent the summer tutoring and was then offered a classroom teaching position at the private school attached to the place where I tutored. I now teach grades 4-6. I am half-way through my first year of teaching.

I had put off getting back to the blog world because I have been through so much, that the task of writing it all out seemed so overwhelming. I'm not going to get into it all right now, but this is a start. I want to start blogging again, and I have so many things to share. Just know, I have a hard time sharing personal things and talking about my feelings. And everything that has happened in the last 7 months has been very personal and trying. So, this is going to take some time.

Thank you to those of you who have encouraged me to continue writing!

Countdown until summer break: 14 days

I'm sitting here waiting on nail polish to dry so that I can go to bed, and I realize that I haven't blogged in way too long.

It's not so much writer's block as it is that there is really not a whole lot to talk about these days... I know, not the thrilling blog update you were hoping for, right?

The students at the middle school have pretty much gone bonkers since TCAPs three weeks ago... We have not had the same schedule two consecutive days since then. There are special activities happening every few days and a school-wide project that has been worked into the schedule daily.

I am currently trying to figure out how I'm planning on getting by this summer without an actual job job. I have committed to tutoring a few little girls two days a week and I really would like to find tutoring or babysitting jobs to fill up the other three days of the work-week. I applied to work at the YMCA for summer camps, but apparently they had already hired enough people. So, if you know of anyone in Putnam or the surrounding counties who needs a babysitter or tutor, please send them my way!!

-Miss Land

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems...

I've always heard of broke college students... but I had more money in college than I've ever had before, thanks to scholarships, grants, and a little student loan. So in school, I thought man, if this is what it's like to be a broke college student, things aren't too bad. The recession didn't touch me in college. I heard all about people having financial troubles, and was so thankful to be in my little TTU bubble (that's how I refer to my college life... it's its own little world).

No one ever tells you that you'll be broke AFTER college. I thought I would be rolling in dough by now... I mean, I really thought that someone would walk up to me as soon as I turned my tassel and hand me a job on a silver platter. Boy, was I wrong!

I am learning for the first time how to make a strict budget and it is NOT easy, people! This job of mine is such a wonderful experience and I love it, but let's just get real for a minute. It is a minimum wage job and it is technically only part time. I have rent, an electric bill, insurance, and a phone bill to pay with a tiny little paycheck biweekly. Please don't think that I am complaining, because this job has been a tremendous blessing! I just want to share with you one more thing I am learning along the way. I am learning to stretch my dollar like nobody's business.

For example. I love clothes. They are the only thing that I really spend much money on... However, since graduating, I have only purchased a $5 pair of pants from Old Navy and a $10 scarf. (and a pair of tennis shoes, but I broke into the graduation money for that one... so it does not count). Since clothing is no longer in the budget I've started making jewelry so I can at least feel like I'm stretching my wardrobe out.

I eat oatmeal for breakfast; TWO BUCKS for a huge tub that lasts over a month!

At El Tap, I get the $1.75 taco with beans on the side. $3 meal! Yes please!

Also, I made homemade laundry detergent! It cost about $4 and will probably last me a year! It was soooooo easy and I hate buying any type of cleaning product, so I am super excited about it!

As much as I wish I could buy a ton of new clothes and shoes (the summer stuff will be out soon :/ my favorite), I am proud to be learning a lesson in budgeting and how to make each dollar count now, so when I am making more money, I will be a wise steward of all that the Lord blesses me with.

-Miss Land

LIFE101

So I like to type this blog so that I can document my goofy transition into being an adult. And I mean goofy. There should be a class in college called LIFE101. You should be taught to balance your checkbook, budget, fix a broken toilet, change the dryer lint thingy regularly. In this class there would be a vocabulary list that must be mastered before passing. The list would include words like: mortgage, mutual fund, 401k, and all of the other words that I act like I know in conversation and then Google when I get home. Maybe all of these seem like common knowledge to you grown-ups out there but I'm clueless.

I wrote all that to tell you about my latest grown-up goof. It has been three months since I graduated, and I just now got some of my thank you notes addressed and stamped to send out. SHAME ON ME. My Nana would give me a swift kick in the butt for this one. Mind you, I wrote all of them THE NEXT WEEK after graduating. That was the hard part and for some reason I put off the easy part (addressing and stamping) until just now. If there is a grown-up of the year award out there somewhere, I will not be receiving it this year.

Oh well, add it to the list!

And here's the list:

*Signing up for a Target credit card and then forgetting to pay it off. A $100 debt turned into a $200 debt real quick. Lesson learned.

*Letting a $1000 check expire. (Don't worry, I got another one sent) Lesson learned.

*Arguing over a thermostat by jacking the heat way up. Expensive bill. Lesson learned.

*Sending a rent check without a signature (accidentally). Twice. Nearly evicted. Lesson Learned.

*Driving too fast as a teenager and rolled a vehicle. Lesson learned.

*Blew off my best friend for a boy. We didn't speak for a year, and it was miserable. Lesson learned.

*Being at odds with my Grandad in Oklahoma at the time he passed away. Didn't get to say goodbye. Lesson learned.

I don't know about you guys, but I am so far from perfect. Thank the Lord for having mercy on me and leading me through these lessons, the ones that are funny to look back on, and the ones that hurt to think about.

To tie this into my teaching theme, I look forward to watching generations of sweet children learn their lessons. Not so much math, science, social studies, and english. More so, the things that matter. How to be a responsible future-adult, how to make friends and keep them, how to show love to others, and how to love a Holy God. Yeah, yeah, I know I'm not allowed to talk about Him in school, but actions speak far louder than words and I want to be a guiding light.

-Miss Land

Teach Me Tuesdays! Teacher/Student Facebook Friending

I do not confirm students or their parents as Facebook friends (unless I am legitimately friends and we hang out and really know one another) for many reasons. I came across this blog that explains why it is a horrible idea to befriend your students. Check it out and I'm sure you will agree.

-Miss Land

Is it Friday yet?

Wow, I started out really good at this blogging thing and I've already turned into a slacker...

This week has been a pretty average week at work. Monday went better than I had expected, but then Tuesday reality sank in that it is the last nine weeks of the school year and the kids have gone BONKERS. One kid of mine stole something from the P.E. teacher... not the first thing he's stolen. Kids are going to the office left and right. Students are no longer allowed to go to their lockers between classes because that's when they cause the most trouble. I mean, one thing after another.

Today, however, was a piece of cake. I have P.E. the first two hours of the day with two different sets of students. Then 3rd period was D.A.R.E. so there wasn't much for me to do. 4th period was super easy because the teacher spent the entire period reading from the social studies book. 5th period was a breeze because students were giving 4H presentations (boring when we were in school, still boring today...) and before I knew it, it was time to go home! Wahoo!

And guess what! Tomorrow is FRIDAY! Yeeeeeeeah.

So Long, Spring Break.

Here it is, the last day of my Spring Break. It has been wonderful. The weather has been between 65 and 80 the whole week and I am already in Summer mode.

What I did all week:
SLEPT IN
babysat
bought a new cell phone
started running again
went out with friends in the MIDDLE of the week (huge deal these days)
Spent a super-fun day at Six Flags with that boy I date

The only thing that I did not get to do was go home and visit my Nana and Papaw. I have not been home since Christmas break. I wanted to go during the week, but had to babysit to make up for not actually working this past week. So my biggest priority next weekend: GOING HOME.

Tomorrow, my first day back at work after the entire week off, should be interesting... My kiddos have been at home for a week and will be coming back to a structured environment. This is a hard task for anyone without a learning disorder, so just imagine what an adjustment it will be for these guys! I'll be sure to blog tomorrow!

-Miss Land

Spring Break!

It may not be a wild week in Panama City, but I am thoroughly enjoying sleeping in and not having to be in teacher clothes everyday. I didn't even notice that yesterday was a Monday. I slept until 10:30, went for a run (go me!), and did absolutely nothing productive.

Just another manic Monday....

Seriously, Mondays turn me into a crazy person. And they aren't super for my kids either. All of the hard work we put in to getting these kids to follow directions, listen to their teachers, and pay attention goes to crap over the weekend. As soon as the kiddos come back on Monday it feels like we have to start from square one. This is FRUSTRATING. It's not just the kids though. I think I spend most of my Monday mourning over the weekend ending. With Jordan living an hour away and only getting to see him on the weekends, it's starting to make the weeks suck.... and I'm normally a very positive person, but I feel like I'm spending the entire week just wishing the weekend would hurry up and get here. Guess this is something that I need to work on, appreciating the weekdays as well as the weekends.

It doesn't help that almost everyone I know is on a beach right now for Spring Break.

Click here to hear my theme song today... you may recognize it from a certain AWESOME movie that I love. Just call me Gru.


Ok, I promise I am finished complaining now. I hope you all have a wonderfully blessed week!

Booooo.....

I'm sitting here with a bunch of friends, all of which are still in school, and they are all talking about Spring Break '11. This sucks. My spring break is the week after everyone else's. Maybe I should have went to grad school.....

Oh, today was Monday?

I didn't notice. NOT. It was such a typical Monday. It poured rain allllll day long. My kids could not focus on anything so I felt like I was constantly running around like a crazy person trying to keep them on task. I was CRANKY by the end of the day and ended up blowing up on my poor, sweet little cousin. Ok, he wasn't being his sweetest at the moment that I flipped out on him, but I should have taken it a little easier on him. I'll have to apologize tomorrow.

Now I'm sitting on the couch eating a pomegranate popsicle and watching GREEK. At least Monday nights are something to look forward to :)

Settling in...

I've been at this job now for about a month now and I'm finally getting settled in. I"m getting back in the swing of being up at 6:30. I'm getting used to packing my lunch in the mornings. And I'm starting to really get to know the people that I work with all day long and the children that I work with all day.

I've gotten chances to sit down and talk with most of the teachers whose classrooms I go into and they are all wonderful ladies. They are all super patient with my kids, and the rest of the students in the class. They are very flexible when accommodations need to be made for my kids, and they want to see these children succeed. They are constantly thinking of new ways to reach the students on a level that they will understand. These women really deserve some recognition. This is one of my first experiences in middle school, and it is HARD! Middle schoolers are not interested in anything but their social lives. And they never stop talking. These teachers have to have a serious a heart for their students. Middle school is definitely something you need to be called to teach.

I've also gotten to know a few of the students that I am not working with, but that have taken time to be nice to my kids and help them out and try to get to know them. These students absolutely melt my heart. One little boy is in the sixth grade and always asks how my day is going and how I'm liking my job there. I talked to another teacher about him and, apparently, he wants to be a special education teacher when he grows up. He already knows that he has been called to do this and he is probably the sweetest little boy that I have ever met. Then there are the students in P.E. class (my most challenging task of the day). So many of them are always trying to help my kids understand what they are supposed to be doing and they show a great deal of patience. If I were in middle school, and this kid was beside me making crazy noises and flailing his arms all over the place, I would probably try to move. Not these kids though, they help as much as they can.

I've also learned now what to expect from my students. I know what things are okay for them to do, what I should let slide and what I shouldn't. I know what they enjoy doing. I know how to get answers out of them in class. And I look forward to seeing my little friends every day. At first, I was just reporting to work everyday. Now I'm excited to see these little fellas! It's so rewarding when I see these guys work hard and put forth their best efforts. They would totally let me do all of their work for them if I would do it. Honestly, this job would be so much easier if I would just do a lot of things for them. But these kids are capable of so much more than most people give them credit for. They are used to having things done for them. But they are now starting to learn that they've got to step it up if Miss Land is around. I am enjoying watching them grow a little bit more independent as the weeks go by.

I'll leave you with an inspiring quote that I found online:

"Exceptional human beings must be given exceptional educational treatment, treatment which takes into account their special difficulties. Further, we can show that despite abnormality, human beings can fulfill their social role within
the community, especially if they find understanding, love and guidance.”
-Hans Asperger

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
- Miss Land

Teach Me Tuesdays (a day late) - Family Influence

I've been having a little conversation with myself all day in my head about changing "Teach Me Tuesdays" to "Think About It Thursdays". I'm running out of things to teach you about education every week and there are plenty of controversial subjects that I could talk about on Thursdays. Plus, Tuesdays are the busiest day of my week and I usually to not sit down until bedtime. By then, I just want to sleep. So we'll see what comes of that.

Today's topic, however, is going to be the role of the family in a child's development. This was inspired by my (not so) favorite president's recent flip-flop on his stance on same-sex marriages.

Children learn where they fit into the world based on where they fit into their family. In my family, I have always been the strong one who holds it together and holds things in... guess how I act within other relationships. The exact same way. This isn't some wacky coincidence, it's the way we are all made. We are influenced by each individual in our immediate family.

What we learn from our fathers:
- Fathers provide a challenge for their children to explore their own strength and boundaries through rough-and-tumble play.
- Fathers who are emotionally supportive and acknowledge their child's emotions, the child learns to deal with his/her emotions.
- Fathers challenge children to become more independent.
- Supportive fathers foster a sense of self-control in their children.
- Fathers provide a moral example to their children.
- During adolescence, teenagers tend to pull away from the mother. This is when it is super important for fathers to remain involved with their children and provide support.
- Most importantly, the way that a child views their earthly father is the same way that they will view their heavenly Father. If a child sees their earthly father as absent, they could end up viewing God the same way.

What we learn from our mothers:
- Mothers provide a sense of calmness and comfort from the first time they hold their child.
- Mothers bring a sense of joy to the home. They bring smiles and laughter and praise.
- Mothers... do it all. If I started listing everything they do that influences their children I would be typing for days.


If a child only has one of these influences, chances are they are going to have a tougher time developing a well-rounded personality. They are less secure with who they are and how they fit in to things. There are more and more children growing up in homes that are out-of-whack and not balanced. It's heart breaking. Only one parent, or two mommies, or two daddies... it's not the same. We were made to have a father and a mother.

"And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” - 2 Corinthians 6:18

Where I got my info:
http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Importance-of-the-Woman-in-the-Home
http://www.civitas.org.uk/hwu/fathers.php

-Miss Land

I'm back!

Sooooo I took a week-long writing hiatus, but I'm back now! No worries! Just got busy and didn't really have enough to bother writing about. But now I do! Take a look at how I spent my weekend:

I got a sub for Friday and left Thursday night for a girls ski trip to Wisp Mountain in Maryland! It was an absolute blast! It was my first time snowboarding and I spent a lot of time with my booty in the snow... and my face a few times. 3 days, 1 (almost) ticket, one concussion (not me), many inside jokes, and tons of memories later, I made it back in one piece. We got in around 11:30 last night, which made today a lonnnnnng day at school. Not only did I not get enough sleep, but we weren't even supposed to be in school today! It's a holiday! However, due to the amount of school that's been missed because of snow days, school had to be in session to make up the missed time.

Here are a few more pictures from the weekend!

-Miss Land

Zippity Doo Dah, Zippity Day!

Finally, a pretty day! Praise the Lord!

For once I don't want to just come home and put my pajamas on. I'm going to clean my car out, and get some groceries, and tan! And I'm not going to freeze my butt off while doing these things!!!

School was great today... nothing crazy happened.

It is 9:18 A.M.

and I actually have a little bit of time before I have to be at work. Ahhhh... I could drink my coffee (but I like to do that at school... my coffee cup is my security blanket. If I don't have it in hand, then you'll see me with a bottle of water). I could clean my room up (but why would I want to do that??). I think I'll blog!

Except, I don't have a whole lot to say. I'm still loving work and hanging out with these kids. I've hardly seen them all week because of early dismissal/2 hour delays/a snow day. And now it's FRIDAY!!! Wooooohooooo!

Teach Me Tuesdays - Putnam County making history!

Check this out!

This week Putnam County's school board met via a distance learning lab. Kind of like skyping but bigger! I just happened to stop into one of these rooms earlier that day and got to watch them play around with it. Sure, they've been doing things like this in movies and businesses for years, but this technology is now accessible for YOUR children in YOUR schools.

What purpose does this actually serve in learning?

1. A class in Alaska could pair up with a class in Florida and learn what life is really like for those so far away.

2. You could have conversations with experts on something that you are learning in class, that you wouldn't have access to in person. Your class could even have a conversation with the president! or Bill Gates! Or Justin Beiber!

3. I could be enrolled at Harvard and still live in Cookeville... (because distance is totally the only thing keeping me from attending...)

Not only is it just super cool to be able to talk to multiple people at multiple locations, our kids have so much access to so much knowledge. That's exciting!

-Miss Land

I LIVE IN LAS VEGAS!! WHERE DO YOU LIVE??

I haven't had much to say lately because I've been exhausted keeping up with these kids. I am still really enjoying my job and having a lot of fun! Since I don't have a ton to say I'll tell you about some of the off-the-wall things these kids have said to me. Keep in mind, they all have autism so I have a little more patience with the funny things they say than I would be with other students.

So today, I'm sitting in the back of the room during one of the classes that I go to and one student... let's call him Bob.... turns around and looks at me. Then, clear as day, Bob says to me, "Stop being such a baby!". Turns out someone had said that to him earlier in the day. Seeing that he is feeling a little feisty today, I go and sit beside him and explain that we can't just go around saying those things to people. So he replies with, "I am sick and tired of you." WHAT??? Ok, where is this coming from?? So I ask if he was directing that statement toward me or just repeating something someone else had said. He looks directly at me and again says, "I am sick and tired of you." Now I have to explain that we do not talk like that to anyone, especially a teacher who is really nice to you.

Later, we are in science class and Bob raises his hand in the middle of the lesson. Thinking I am doing the right thing, by allowing him to ask his question instead of trying to answer it myself, I just let him keep it raised until he is called on, since that is something we've been working on. The teacher calls on him and he shouts, "I LIVE IN LAS VEGAS!! WHERE DO YOU LIVE?" Oh my gosh, random?? I'm pretty sure my job is to keep outbursts like that from happening. Whoops.

Another kid, we'll call him George, likes to tell me about the kingdom that exists in his head. He's got the biggest imagination that I have ever seen!

So there's a little tid-bit of the funny things I get to hear all day. I love how these kids just say whatever is on their mind! It may not always be appropriate, and we'll work on what needs to be kept to oneself, but until they master that skill I'll have a few good stories to tell.


If that wasn't enough for you, here are some funny classroom jokes... some are kind of cheesy, but mostly funny.

-Miss Land

Teach Me Tuesdays - Autism

What better to write about than the very learning disorder that my students have been diagnosed with! Autism is quite the hot topic these days, and for good reason. No one knows what causes Autism! Can you believe that?? With technology growing at a scary-fast pace, there are still things that we just do not know and cannot figure out. That's crazy. So is it genetics, or is it environmentally triggered? Ah, the age-old "Nature vs. Nurture" debtate...

Before I tell you about some facts and myths about Autism, it is important to know that all cases of children with autism are different. Just like every single person, snowflake, and fingerprint are different, every case is different. You cannot make a single blanket statement when talking about children with autism.

FACTS:
* Autism is significantly more prevalent in boys than girls.

* Autism includes a wide range of disorders (Aspergers, Rett Syndrome, PDD-NOS, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder)

* Autism is characterized by impaired social skills and communication, as well as restricted, repetitive actions.

* Early signs include: child not making eye contact, trouble reading social clues, or sensitivity to changes in lights, sounds, or their environment.

* According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects as many as 1 in every 110 children in the United States. That's a lot.

* Autism is more prevalent than any other childhood disease, but does not receive near as much funding as some less prevalent diseases.

* Autism is life-long. However, the earlier it is detected, the easier it will be to adjust and start an intervention program.

* Routine is your BEST friend when working with a child with autism. They like to have a schedule and stick to it. If you do something that is not normally in the routine, prepare them for it.


MYTHS:

* Not all children diagnosed with Autism are savants (i.e. Rain Man). They are not all super intelligent in one specific area. They cannot all repeat 13 digit numbers back to you, or memorize a Mozart sonata in one sitting without ever having touched a piano before in their lives, or whatever crazy idea you might have seen in a movie.

* You can not tell a child with Autism apart from any other child just by looking at them.

* Immunization shots do NOT cause autism. We may not know what does, but I can tell you that it's not the shots. The reason the myth came to life is that, unlike most disorders, Autism is not something that you know a child has at birth. It doesn't show symptoms until around age 3 (the age that kids get some immunizations), most of the time. A child may be developmentally on-target up until this point. Then their social skills begin to digress.

* Those diagnosed with autism are perfectly capable of being emotionally attached. They feel love, just like the rest of us, but may not have an easy time showing it.


If you were already familiar with Autism... then you probably already knew all of this. In fact, please let me know if something that I have said is not 100% correct. Otherwise, I hope this cleared up a few common misconceptions that are floating around about autism. I am no expert, and I look forward to learning so much more this semester as a resource assistant.

If you are interested in learning more check out Autism Speaks.

-Miss Land

My First Day at My Temporary Big-Girl Job!!

So... I know you're all dying to know how my first day went, and I'm dying to tell you! It was AWESOME! The special education teacher that I am working with is amazing and the students I am working with are so much fun. They are all students with autism, and though I have little experience working with children with special needs, this is an awesome chance to build a stronger foundation to start the ol' teaching career on.

Basically, my job is to go to class with a few certain students throughout the day and keep those students on task, and make sure that they are performing to the best of their ability. And these kids are quite able to do anything that any other kid can do, they just need a little more guidance at times.

So anyways, Here's a little overview of my day:

1. Get to school and go to P.E. with two of my students. Make sure they're paying attention and help them with the exercises, if needed.

2. Go with another student to Math class. Make sure the student is paying attention, and following along, taking notes, working problems.

3. Next comes Social Studies class, where I have three students. And they are a handful! Today, they were taking a quiz on some material I had never seen in my life (Ancient Chinese Imperials, anyone??), and I was supposed to help. EEK! I did the best I could with that one.

4. Science with the same three kiddos. These three guys rock at science!

5. Social Skills class, back in the special education classroom. This was a hoot! We talked about what touches are ok, and which ones are not. These guys are hilarious! Some questions are "Is it okay to hug your mom?", "Is it okay to shake a strangers hand?", etc. So one of the kids makes a joke and asks if it is okay to "shake your girlfriend's booty?" hahaha it was all I could do not to crack up.

6. Last is English with one sweet little guy. He seems to do really well in that class and didn't need too much assistance, other than staying on task.


Now, I am sitting on my couch watching GREEK and eating my nightly pomegranate popsicle, after forcing myself through my workout... didn't make it the whole hour, but 30 minutes are better than none!

Insert witty title about crummy day here.

So... I knew something was off when I woke up at six this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. Two hours later I finally fell back to sleep and didn't wake up until noon. Not like me at all. I'm a morning person. So anyways, I sit around for a little while waiting on an email from the Central Office. In the meantime, I look at the date. January 28. Today makes two years since I lost a dear sister from my Kappa Delta pledge class. We weren't super close, but shared a bond that will last a life time. My heart breaks for Leah's family and closest friends. AOT.

I finally decided to send an email to the central office. They obviously weren't in any hurry to send me the paperwork I need. I get a reply with a checklist of things that need to be done by 4. It was 2:30. So in that amount of time I needed to print off about 30 pages of paperwork, fill it all out, and get a physical. Yeah, apparently you have to have a physical before you can work in a school. So anyways, that's when the entire day when awry.

I'm printing the paperwork and my car gets backed into... no big deal. I can deal with that. I take Kim's car and run the paperwork to the central office (I thought they closed at 5 so I call at 3:55 to make sure the lady I need to see will be in the office... apparently they close at 4:00) So I tell the lady not to go anywhere and that I will be there in 10 minutes. I get there and she proceeds to tell me about the million (ok more like 4) things that I still need to do before I can work. I'm supposed to work Monday morning... it's now 4P.M. on Friday. Not sure how good your math is, but basically I am out of time to get things done. And I have a car whose bumper looks like an english bulldog's nose.

Ok, whatever, I can make this work.... Still thinking positively. So Kim has my car at the shop getting an estimate, and I am at her house. It's about 5 by this time.

Now my phone rings.... and I realize that the babysitting job I had written in my planner for NEXT Friday is actually supposed to be today. I'm supposed to be there in like 30 minutes. No car. On top of this, Jordan is on his way from Mount Juliet to spend the weekend here. Fantastic. I'm crying now. Too much going on in too little time.

Fast forward six hours. The four kids I'm watching are upstairs laying down and watching TV. My nails are painted a hideous combination of teal blue and silver. But I actually had a pretty fun evening with the kids.

Didn't get p90x in today. Also, didn't get that physical done. The board will just have to wait on that. My room didn't get cleaned like I had planned. But, I survived. And I'm going to have a fun day tomorrow! Pretty weather is in the forecast!

Well...

I got the position at Algood Middle!!! I am going to be a special education resource assistant for pretty much the rest of the spring semester!!! My foot is in the door at the school I have wanted to teach at since I became an education major!!! Thank you all for your prayers, and praise the Lord!!!!

This is me right now:

I almost forgot... I start Monday!!!! Waaaahhhoooooooo!!!

Ya'll seriously... I'm THIS excited!!

Teach Me Tuesdays - Extracurricular Overload

Extracurricular activities are a vital part of teaching your child skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. They develop friendships, learn to work out problems, learn time-management skills, gain confidence, learn to deal with stress, and many other benefits.

These are all great things! Who doesn't want their child to grow into a well balanced adult? That's the goal, right? But what happens when we try so hard to give our child "the opportunities we never had"? Sometimes we go a little overboard.

A child's brain develops through creative play. That's why preschool and Kindergarten involve a great deal of what looks like free time. Playing with blocks, dolls, finger paints, dress-up clothes, play dough, etc. This isn't simply playing; this is how they discover the world around them and how they fit into that world. This type of learning does not stop just because your child gets a little older and starts to hit the books.

Even when kids get older they learn through playing. So give them some play time! From what I understand, and I'm no mom, most school-age children are involved in multiple sports/clubs/whatever, and their days are jam packed until bed time. Then they wake up and do it all over again. Sounds like an adult life to me. Kids need to be kids. Not stressed out, super-productive little adults.

So instead of packing your child's day/week/month/life full of "opportunities that you didn't have", let them enjoy the opportunities that you did have. Playing (not sitting in front of the tv or xbox or whatever) will teach your child more than you realize.

Here are a few websites to support what I've said:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is_4_21/ai_n15926044/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/39190/six_benefits_of_afterschool_activities_pg2.html?cat=25
http://www.creativityinstitute.com/creativeplayhelpschildrengrow.aspx
http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/Topics/Toys/Benefits+of+Creative+Play.html

-Miss Land

Interview

The interview went well this morning and I should know something by the end of the week! Yay! "And that's all I have to say about that" -Forrest Gump

Now, Johnny, we don't put glue sticks in our friends' hair...

Ok, that didn't really happen today, but the day went so well that I don't really have anything to tell you about! I subbed for a Kindergarten class half of the day and it went perfectly! The kids were adorable (in that sticky, boogery way that only a kindergartner can be) and they were (pretty much) all very well-behaved. I ate lunch in the teacher's lounge, and everyone was super friendly. I was excited to see a good friend of mine who is currently student teaching there and I was able to eat lunch with her. Normally, I steer clear of teachers' lounges at lunchtime because they are usually a pretty negative environment, full of cranky teachers who like to complain about their students. But these teachers were so pleasant and didn't even talk about their students... they talked about normal grown-up things. Kudos to those teachers!

Ps. Some exciting news: I have an interview for a special education resource assistant's leave of absence tomorrow at 10:30 A.M.!!!!! Pray for me, friends! This would be a wonderful thing.

-Miss Land

This girl!

First Day Substituting

I was already scheduled to substitute today, however I received a call at FIVE-THIRTY this morning requesting a sub... then again at six, and yet another time at 7:50. When it rains, it pours (in a good way)! I think the Lord may just be having a little laugh at my expense for my impatience about getting started, and now the phone calls/texts/emails are rolling in! Hallelujah!

I arrived at school to sub this morning and was greeted with lots of sweet hugs! These kids are awesome. Everything went well and I don't have any horror stories to tell! Today was a blessing :)

I am supposed to sub on Friday, but the weather woman is on the TV right now talking about the 3-4 inches we are expecting tomorrow afternoon. She also says that it will be cold enough Friday that no-matter how much sunshine we get, it won't be warm enough to melt the accumulation. Soooo.... I'm guessing I won't be working Friday. I have a feeling that snow days and summers are going to make up for my tiny salary and I am not mad at that!!

-Miss Land

Lonnnnng Day

I hopped out of bed this morning, got ready, and headed out to put business cards in all of the teachers mailboxes in Putnam County. I made it to about half of the schools. About an hour into my day, I called Kim (my Mauntster - that's Mom+Aunt+Sister... you'll probably hear a lot more about her in future posts... she's awesome) and went to lunch with her and a few people she works with. As soon as I sat down at their table, I burst into tears. Didn't even see it coming. I think all of the pressure that I've been putting on myself finally got to me. I needed to get it out, and I did. Then, I was totally over it and ready to continue with the day. So I took off to Overton County to apply to teach/sub there too. Took care of that, came back to Cookeville and went to the central office where I was finally told that I am officially on the sub-list! FINALLY!!!! Theeennnnn, I got a call from a lady at my church needing volunteers for after-school tutoring. Sooooo I headed straight there and tutored from 4-5:30 and now I am finally relaxing in my pjs.

Teach Me Tuesdays! Multiple Intelligences

As a teacher, I am supposed to come up with creative lessons that appeal to children of all learning types and all of the multiple intelligences. This can be really easy for some lessons and super hard for other lessons. It is fun to see if I can include all of them in a single lesson so that, in a perfect world, it appeals to all students in the class.

Here is a quiz to find out what your multiple intelligences are. Below is a short explanation of each.

The Multiple Intelligences include:

1. Spatial - If you are spacial you think in pictures and enjoy reading maps, charts, pictures, videos, etc.

2. Verbal - If you are verbal you are likely to be an elegant speaker who thinks in words rather than in pictures.

3. Mathematical - If you are mathematical you are definitely not me.... you make connections between the world around you and mathematical equations. Your strengths are problem solving and working with long, complex problems and geometrical shapes. You would likely make a good architect.

4. Kinesthetic - If you are kinesthetic you are a hands-on person with good hand-eye coorination and balance and are able to express yourself through movement.

5. Musical - If you are musical you have the ability to produce and appreciate music. You immediately respond to sounds around you.

6. Interpersonal - You are able to communicate well and relate to others. You try to maintain peace and are also excellent at organizing information.

7. Intrapersonal - You have the ability to self-reflect. You learn mostly from your feelings, thoughts, dreams, and reflection on relationships with others.

I am a combination of Kinesthetic (I love to move around and touch things), Interpersonal (I am pretty social and love meeting new people... I'm also super organized), and Intrapersonal (I learn a lot from examining past experiences). Leave a comment and let me know what yours are!

Triple Grande, 2 pump Caramel, 2 pump Mocha, Nonfat, With Whip and Both Drizzles, Mocha please : )

I have been so blessed to have had the opportunity to babysit for a friend for the past five days while she and her husband were in Aruba. The money that I made from babysitting was pretty much exactly how much my bills add up to, so I am covered for January. This was such a blessing because I was just starting to worry about whether or not I could make ends meet until I get busy with substituting. I am a little more than halfway through Dave Ramsey's book Total Money Makeover and I am super inspired to start off my adult life on the right foot financially. That is why I have decided to go back to Starbucks and work nights... I hope this is a good decision and that I won't be too terribly busy once I start substituting. During the summer months I can't substitute and will still need some sort of income, so I feel like this is a smart decision. I worked at Starbucks two years ago and loved it! It was a super fun job! I turned in my application yesterday, so let's hope they want me back! I went in and talked to some of the girls I worked with there two years ago and they said they are hiring, so that is promising.

That was a little off-topic, considering this is a blog about my teaching adventures, but it is just a part of my journey until I finally get my own classroom. So anyways, tomorrow I plan on taking my business cards and putting them in teachers' mailboxes. And Wednesday I will be substituting for a fourth grade class... the same class that I student taught. I can't wait to go hang out with all of my favorite students!! Friday I am subbing for the first grade class that I also student taught in. I've got a fun week ahead of me!

"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:9

-Miss Land

Why

is it that every time I want to do something proactive toward getting a job, it snows!! I still have resumes to take around and business cards to put in mailboes... Back off, Jack Frost!

Teach Me Tuesdays - Montessori

Today's "Teach Me Tuesday" topic is the Montessori method of schooling. I first heard about this method last spring in my Kindergarten practicum and I have been itching to learn more about it. It's super interesting, and something that I plan on integrating into my future classroom.

The basics:
1. Children have a natural ability to learn.
2. Classes are multi-age (0-6,6-12,12-18)
3. Students are given the freedom to make decisions about how they want to learn.
4. Children are given lessons and then allowed to move about the room to centers where they choose what learning tools they want to use and they are able to learn at their own pace.
5. The curriculum is divided into the following:

*Practical Life - Materials are provided that are child-sized (tables, chairs, and other furniture)and the students learn to take care of themselves and their environment in ways such as cleaning up after themselves, and helping one another. Other activities include learning to dress oneself with materials that simulate tying, buttoning, and zipping. Also, students learn to scoop, measure, use manners, and to cook.

* Sensorial - Students explore size, shape, color, and dimension of objects.

* Mathematics - Students use hands-on materials (manipulatives) to explore math concepts and learn place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc.

* Language - Children begin with letters made of sandpaper that they can trace with their fingers and learn the sound that each letter makes. The then move on to building words with movable letters. They continue learning progressively with hands-on materials that make language tangible.

* Cultural - Students have access to maps, puzzles, and many country-specific materials.

There are a few Montessori schools in the Nashville area, and I would love to sit in on a class and learn more, as I have only read about these schools and watched videos of Montessori classrooms.

Typical Montessori classroom:

Tomorrow, Tomorrow

Gotta be in Cookeville at 2 tomorrow at the Central Office. Pretty sure I'll finally be officially on the sub list then! Cross your fingers that the roads are nice and clear, because I am currently an hour away in Mount Juliet.

PS. I got my business cards in the mail and they rock!! I'm going to go (as soon as the snow goes away, blizzard '11??) and stick them in all of the teachers' mailboxes!

Here's a crummy picture that I took on my phone... can't find my camera cord to upload a picture from it.

Hope you all stay nice and warm and have fun playing in the snow!!

Hi, I'm Natasha and you're going to want to hire me! kthx

First things first, I am already committed to subbing TWO WHOLE DAYS the week after next! Yay!!!!! Now, as far as getting my name officially on the sub list... I don't think the people in the central office are ever in much of a hurry. So if my name is not on the list by, say, Tuesday, I'm going to go from being proactive to being just plain irritating. I don't know if they realize how determined/excited I am... but they're going to!

The week before schools let out for Christmas break, I had planned on taking my resume around to all of the schools in Putnam County and getting my name out there. The schools were snowed out the entire week. So today I planned on trying again. Schools were two hours late because of icy conditions this morning. I almost let this change my mind about going today, but after climbing back in bed for two more hours, I hopped out of the bed and was determined to make it to as many schools as possible today and meet me some principals!

My first stop was the school where I student taught. It was so great to go back and see my super fun students and all of the awesome teachers that I spent the semester with!! It really made me feel good to go back and be so warmly welcomed. I gave the principal my resume and thanked him for sharing his school with me last semester.

After that I was off to the other thirteen schools in the county. I made it to about 6 of them. Most places were super friendly and encouraging! I plan on going to the rest of the schools on Monday. Until then, I am spending the weekend in Mount Juliet and planning a girls day for tomorrow :)

Oh forget it, it's still doing it. I'll post tomorrow.

I'm trying to compose tonight's post... and where I should be able to type, there is a swirly circle that won't go away...

Teach Me Tuesdays!

Anyone else wondering what in the world "Race to the Top" actually is?  I've heard it a million times in college classes and inside schools, and normally I just nod my head and say "yeah... uh-huh... oh, I know, right?"  Truth be told, I do not have a clue.  I'm sure my professors are shaking their heads if they are reading this.  Soooooo let's learn something, readers!

I found these websites:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/race-to-the-top-impact-on-students
http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2010/03/03292010.html

Here is what I have gathered about Race to the Top in Layman's terms:

1.  It's an Obama thing.
2.  States compete for money for their schools.
3.  TN won $500 million to reform its schools.
4.  It's the whole reason that I keep hearing "merit based pay" (paying teachers based on students' test scores) is going to happen in TN.

Those are the basics.  America wants smarter kids in order to compete with other countries who whip our tails educationally. So here's to inspiring every single student out there to make straight A's, save the world, find a cure for cancer, and (most importantly) ace the TCAPS!

Here Goes...

   I recently graduated from Tennessee Tech University with a B.S. in Elementary Education.  I don't have a job yet, and I am totally okay with it.  I'll spend the Spring semester substitute teaching in Putnam County, where I hope to have a job in the Fall.

   I love the classroom.  I love books and pens and markers.  I love seeing things through the eyes of children.  I especially have a heart for children who come from lower-income situations.  My goal as a teacher is to let every single kid that comes into my classroom know that they have just as much opportunity and potential as anyone else out there, no matter their background. Hence the quote at the top of the page.  I want them all to know that no matter who they are and where they are from, they have the potential to own the whole darn railroad if they want.

   So anyways, this blog might get a slow start due to the fact that, well, I'm not teaching yet. Really, I'm not even totally sure where it's going to go... I might have two followers by the end of this or two thousand.  Either way, I'm excited to document the ups and downs and all arounds of my teaching career! Here goes!