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!