My stomach is full, the dog is whining ’cause she’s locked outside, the house is finally starting to quiet down, and Turkish Delight is sitting on the kitchen counter. Tim has been singing “Turkish Delight” by David Crowder almost all night and it was really funny to come home to Pamela telling me that she got me some Turkish Delight to share with my students at school. So maybe one day next week if they are on super good behavior I can give them some…since it’s store bought I think it might be okay, but I still have to check.

The kids were insane today. Can’t even describe it. At some points they were little angels, and at other, little terrors.

Tonight was good though. Yesterday Brittany and Deanna told me about their basketball game tonight so I took Tim and watched their game then we stayed for Bianca and Shannon’s game. So much fun. I really enjoy watching basketball, especially when I know people who are playing. I took quite a few pictures, but will have to look at them over the weekend. I don’t really know how many good pictures I took. People move around too much playing basketball for taking pictures.

It’s already past my bedtime so I need to get off. I have to be up at 5 so I can be out the door between 6 and 6:10 in order to be at the school at 6:45 for a parent-teacher conference at 7. Then tomorrow evening Tim and I will be joining Phillip and Jessica at a musical. I really like musicals, so that should be lots of fun. It’ll be a really long day tomorrow. Good thing the weekend is just around the corner.

My girls in small group just made me feel sooo special tonight! It’s great to see how much people love you, and tonight I did. And I am hoping starting in a couple weeks they will start helping me out with the lessons for Wednesday that way I wont be so stressed when it comes to planning the lessons, and also that will give me personal time to spend with the girls. Lord, please let that work. I love student teaching, and that has to take number one in my activities I do right now, and I love my girls and I do not want to have to back out of working with them. My faith is in Christ, and I know He will show me what is best to do in my life right now. We talked about prayer tonight, and it was so well. It was great to get to talk the whole time and discuss something that is an intimate part of life in our relationship with God. This lesson should take probably about one or two more weeks to hit all the aspects of it.

More good news to make this a wonderful day…

My teacher came to me telling me how much the other teachers are bragging about me. As I have heard, this school had two horrible student teachers last year…(which I am thinking is why I am the only student teacher in the whole school)…and everyone kind of gave my teacher a hard time when they found out she was taking on a student teacher. My teacher told the other teachers to tell me themselves how much of a good job they are doing, so when I was checking to see if one of them needed supplies for science, she bragged to me about me for about 5 minutes. And the best part of the compliments was that she said they are all going to push for me to get hired on next year! What a praise! Praise Jesus that just within the first 3 weeks people are seeing this potential that God has put in me. Every morning I ask God to give me the strength and wisdom to learn what I need and do what I need to be a successful teacher. And by what the teachers at school have said, He has been doing that for me.

I am so super exhausted. I am aiming to be asleep by 8:30, which I could probably fall asleep before then. Going to the lock-in last weekend was not a smart decision on my part. I haven’t caught up from sleep, and I have been super worn out and not feeling all that great. It took a lot to force me out of bed this morning. If it was just any regular semester with classes I would have slept in…of course then I wouldn’t have to wake up at the latest 6am in order to barely make it to school on time.

Today went well though. By the time I taught I had eaten a couple times during the day and got some more strength in me. I have been super hungry this week, so I started taking extra food to eat during my “lunch” time (10am) and then I eat my sandwich and crackers while on lunch duty. Then I finished whatever else I might have had during planning time. Okay, enough about food.

My lesson today went much better than yesterday. Although it wasn’t wonderful, it was definitely better. I’m slowly learning that some days are good, and some days are bad. Sometimes it’s the teacher, and some times its the kids. And you just have to be flexible and work on your toes. We had another packet of Math worksheets, and this time I got them on transparencies to work through it with everyone at once. That went so much better than trying to wait for students to work on their own pace and keep everyone together. We had about 15 minutes for science, which was just enough time to demonstrate and get the students started. They are so excited about science and what we are doing that it is sooo easy to loose management of the students. And by the end of the day I was so worn out and tired I didn’t feel like fighting it. My teacher luckily chimed in a few times to manage them and keep them under control. Not good on my part, but welcomed. We had talked about her chiming in for that during planning period. She had apologized for doing it, and I told her that it is completely fine with me. Because right now while learning how classroom management works I get easily frazzled when the students are louder than I talk and I feel as if I have lost control then loose my train of thought.

Today was pretty hard mainly because physically I wasn’t up to the challenge. I’m hoping since I am going to bed super soon that tomorrow I will be feeling better and can do a much better job. I also need to come up with the lesson for small group tomorrow night. I really need to spend more time praying and talking to God about all that I am doing this semester. I am feeling very overloaded and am thinking I need to start cutting some things out of my schedule this semester to save my sanity. I would hate to cut anything out, because my heart is in everything I am dedicated to right now . . . BUT I also need to consider my health and the fact that I am trying to learn something that I enjoy and want to do the rest of my life (teaching) and I really don’t need any extra things keeping me from performing and learning at my full potential. I’ll hopefully have it all figured out by the end of this week. They have advised us several times with student teaching to not have any jobs or volunteer jobs this semester during student teaching, and I am now seeing that wisdom bright and clear. And each week is only going to get more challenging as I add another subject each week and more time that I take over as the teacher each week.

Please pray for my health and for wisdom and guidance with trying to figure out if I can do extra stuff outside of school, or if I need to back away from some of the things I am doing this semester.

I am really enjoying my living situation this semester. The early mornings for commute aren’t so much fun, but this is definitely a great situation God set up for me. Pam and Brian have been great. They are really laid back and so very generous. I’ve already been a little spoiled living with them, and their response, “One day it’ll be your turn to do this for someone else.” I feel bad because I have only gotten to visit with them really just one time. With school and church my schedule has been very busy. I’ve tried to limit my time hanging out with Tim so I can spend time with Pam and Brian, getting to know them and visit some. I’ve got the house to myself right now, which is nice. I’ll probably go to Tim’s and watch a movie here shortly. I am enjoying the alone time right now after 24 hrs non-stop with people. But I also want to take advantage of time I can spend with Tim. Plus I think he might enjoy that.

Last night was our youth lock-in. Which I am still wondering if that was a good idea for me to do. I feel like I have a head cold right now, which will just have to be fixed with a lot of sleep and rest tonight. I haven’t gotten to grading my papers and planning lessons for Monday and Tuesday yet, so it looks like thats what I will be doing tomorrow. I don’t have a choice.

My bird, Sugar is not doing well. I am going to check on him when I go to Tim’s. Tim found him sitting on the bottom of the cage this morning with his leg limp. Then after a while his leg started spazzing. When I left his wing was doing it along with his leg. If he can heal from this I hope it is soon. I am going to take a dropper with me to see if he will drink and keep him hydrated. If he wont make it through this I hope it happens soon. He looks so pitiful. It’s really sad.

Yay! Today was wonderful! The kids were off the wall, so my teacher warned me that I would have to be extra quick with my management skills I am working on. Yesterday I went through my lesson plans with my teacher before going home, then went over them again today at lunch and made some notes to carry with me so I knew exactly what to say when I got back to the classroom with the students. The students were mine since before lunch until after Science. They were wonderful! I wrote precise notes so I wouldn’t have one second of time where I didn’t know what to do. I even had transitional notes on how to keep the students busy while I got out and put away the overhead projector. I had to do that right now because I get frazzled very easily. The kids were wonderful though. I was expecting a nightmare, but they really enjoy working with magnets and seemed to love the lesson. My management technique I have to use with them is, “If you can hear me clap once. If you can hear me clap twice. . . .” My teacher snaps four times and they snap back, but my snap is not loud enough to be heard over all the talking going on . . . her’s is. It worked though, I only had to use it a couple times with the students. Once when they got too loud (they were so excited about what they were doing, and it was learning noise . . . just really loud), and the other time was to demonstrate something that a few students were asking about. I could write a whole lot more about it, but it’s even a long story when speaking.

Tonight was CiCi’s night for my school. I came back up to change and picked up Tim to go with me. I was pretty disappointed that I didn’t see any of the teachers in my grade while I was there or any of the kids in my class. I only saw one third grader the whole time I was there. She walked in with her family right after Tim and I and said, “I know her! She is one of my teachers!” telling her parents, so cutely! That made me happy to at least see her. I also saw a teacher that I recognize from school, but I do not know her name nor what grade she teaches. I should find that out. She was with a couple other teachers I vaguely recognized.

Now I need to get to grading my papers from our Science experiment today. The students explored the magnetic forces of push and pull and found out which is stronger. I also need to come up with a conclusion to tie in the lesson and see how I can prepare them for the next part of Science we will be doing. I am sooo tired right now, so we’ll see how much of that I end up doing while my teacher is teaching.

I talked to my mom yesterday and today and she told me she’s been waiting for me to post some more. I’m obviously not posting enough. So this one is for you mom! You can leave a comment also at the end of these blogs.

I taught my first lesson today, and it went okay. My objective was to introduce the forces push and pull. Simple concept, and one of my students knew the definition before I introduced it. I started off asking what all they knew about force, and they were right on the button. Made it pretty simple for me. I used tug-a-war to demonstrate pull and had the students write down their observations of 2 people playing in their science journal. And for push I had two students push a box towards each other. The students had a lot of fun, and wanted to do it some more, but for time, I couldn’t allow it, plus it’d get even more out of hand. I used the KWL chart which saved me for my first lesson, I really liked using it.

When I was finished my teacher said I did really well, that the students responded wonderfully to me and that I have a natural teaching ability. But she also said that I was right in telling her the first day that the number one thing I need to work on is discipline with controlling the classroom. So that will be something we will be working on as much as possible. My homework for tonight is to research discipline strategies and also write down strategies that she uses in the classroom. Then we will write some of them on a notecard for me to hold on to and when I get in a tough situation…instead of me freaking out, I’ll have the notecard to refer to with ideas on how to gain control back of the classroom.

After school I went to 24hr fitness with Tim to do 30 minutes of cardio. Then he cooked me dinner and played some Crash Tag Team Racing that he got me in turn for cleaning his apartment (my choice). Before leaving he let me borrow his walk-man and FM transmitter. Yes, I said walk-man. My teacher borrowed some cassette tapes from another teacher on “Love and Logic,” it’s the discipline style that my teacher uses in the classroom, so this will help me learn about it more.

While looking for Tim’s walk-man and transmitter I found his tape of songs that he wrote and sang while really little. It is so cute to listen to his little boy high pitched voice. My favorite song he wrote and sang is: “Jesus, Jesus, you are the King of Me. Jesus, Jesus, you are the King over You and Me.” It’s hard to imagine Tim with this little voice. It’s a lot of fun listening to it!

Today was good. I got to experience how to handle situations with the students. Some of the boys came to me with a problem instead of the teacher, so I figured it’d be a good time to practice handling situations as they arise. The situation…stealing. I had one boy come and tell me that another had taken clay from the art room. I called that boy over, got the clay and found out that he got it from another boy after they had left class. And it took until about five students around me were saying that the one kid took it from the class before he would admit it himself. This same kid got in trouble earlier for name calling. Something not tolerated at all. My teacher is real generous with this child because his consequences at home are rough when he gets in trouble, so she deals with situations on her own and only sends a bad mark home if it is absolutely necessary. And he pushed it twice. I broke down after seeing the biggest tears pour down his face as he had to go to the art teacher and return the stolen clay. But you can’t let things like that slip by. Choices have consequences.

I also taught my first “lesson” today. I did a read aloud with a follow up activity. I read “Snowflake Bentley” and had the students make snow flakes. It was fun and my teacher had a lot of positive feedback, my favorite telling me how much the kids love me and are so interested in what I was teaching them.

This week started off hard just because I was timid not knowing what I’m doing. And ended great, despite seeing tears. Tuesday I will start teaching Science, so my nervousness will start up again. I am absolutely drained. It isn’t even 10:30 on a Friday night, and I’m about to go to sleep. I’ve gotten up at 5:30 each morning and been completely exhausted when the day is over. Tim came over to hang out and we watched half a movie and I started falling asleep. So here’s to my great night off. I’m going to bed!

Yes, it’s true. A little girl from another class gave me a present. As I walked my class and another to the front of school to go home the girl I was walking next to handed me a rock and told me it was a present for me. I thanked her and smiled then went and told my teacher and had a laugh. These kids are so sweet, and I forget about these little quirks. We’ll see what else I get this semester.

Today has been the best so far. I did read to both classes before recess and got a few compliments from the students and my teacher. That helped boost my self esteem. I’m still having trouble navigating around the school, but the students know where they are going, and I can trust them to lead the class to our next destination.

Friday I will lead a small lesson, reading a story about snow flakes then having the class make their own snow flakes to hang on the sharing tree. That will be fun, I need to look over that lesson really well though. I also need to look over the science lessons I will start teaching next week. I will be teaching science for the next six weeks of my life then pick up another subject as each week comes.

Speaking of Science. My fist lesson I am doing is about the forces push and pull. The example the lesson says to use is have two kids play a game of tug-a-war. I am having a hard time comprehending the force of push in that game. My teacher told me that when the kid moves forward they are pushing. In my head they are being pulled by the other. If anyone reading this can help me comprehend that, I would greatly appreciate it. I need to do some research online for the lesson.

Small Groups was good tonight. We combined the girls and had a great time. We introduced the idea of big sis/lil sis to the girls and told them who their sister is and asked them what they would like to do with it. Then I gave the girls a quiz out of the “Revolve” magazine Bible that I grabbed from Tim’s office real quick. We did the quiz on Love Languages and read the passages that go with each after figuring out which is each girl’s love language. We also prayed a new way for the girls. I think a few were a little weirded out by it, but a few really liked it too.

Today was a lot better. I went to sleep later and woke up earlier, but my body has already adjusted to the early mornings. I even got to school ten minutes earlier than required. My teacher had me walk the students to the bathroom and instruct them as she watched me. Very nervous even about something as small as that, so I am glad she is already starting me off with that. I still have opted not to do the 10 minutes of reading before recess with another teacher’s class coming in at that time, although tomorrow I might try it. I read the last 15 minutes of class with a few other kids from another class in there, and my teacher said that the students were very into the story and me reading it. So that was nice to hear.

I met with the principal today. Very intimidated. I don’t think she meant to intimidate me, but she was a lot more authoritative than the vice principal. She was still nice though. The student tested most of the day in Math. I graded papers almost all day long and the tests. I even had to grade handwriting homework, which was left up to my judgment on how well they did. I was super nervous doing that, not wanting to grade different than they are usually graded, but I soon came up with my own plan on what I would base my grading on.

I was able to leave the school at 4 today, and will leave earlier than that tomorrow which will be good with Small Groups tomorrow. I’m so excited to see all my girls again! After school I came home to move my stuff into the room I’ll be staying in all semester since Brittany just moved out this morning. I was pretty surprised to find a mess in there while moving my stuff in there, but when I got back from 24hr. Fitness everything was cleaned and nice. I went to 24hr with Debra again. We had a good time Sunday, and today was even better. It’s so nice going with her ’cause she knows the machines pretty well. I’m completely lost when it comes to figuring them out. I have a good laugh at myself though. I’m hoping Debra and I will figure out a good routine for working out once I get myself situated here. I’m very happen that we’ve already gotten to go 2 days this week! I am definitely sore from Sunday, and hoping that today will help my muscles get use to it…but I know my legs will be achin’ tomorrow.

On the way home tonight I was thinking about all the things God will be teaching me this semester, and I believe one of them right now is my emotional stability. Right now is my moody time of the month…which is so not fun with all these changes with student teaching and a new living arrangement. I can get worked up pretty easy with my living arrangements (’cause I hate moving, even when I know it’s good, I want to be stable) and with things that have to do with my future (student teaching). I have to constantly remind myself that God is the only one for me to go to for comfort and support. Which is a lesson I need to learn now for when student teaching gets more difficult. I did good today for the most part. I was good at school and go stressed when I got home, but was able to save that for the gym and everything was fixed when I came back home. God is working through so many people in my life, and at good times. I know that God has a hand in everything happening in my life, and I am so glad because I would be so lost without him.

Today was good. I will definitely sleep well tonight. I went to sleep by 9:15 last night and still had a super hard time waking up this morning. I forgot to grab a slimfast to drink for breakfast on the road, and forgot to fill up for gas the night before, so I was a little panicked before I even left town. I was kind of glad I forgot about breakfast because I had a hard time stomaching a granola bar I packed in my lunch since I was so nervous. I knew that today would be great, but I couldn’t help but to be nervous.

My teacher is wonderful, the kids a great. I graded some papers today and gave stickers or marks at the end of the day in the student’s MOOSE that they take home every night. I walked around and helped students on their English work and also in the computer lab. I had recess duty and ate lunch in the staff lounge so I would have the opportunity to meet more teachers. The teaching team I am working with is really sweet too. I also met the vice principal in person today too. I met the main principal for a minute today just to say hi, but will go in and visit with her tomorrow.

So much happened today and I’m just trying to let it all sink in, so there isn’t much depth to my student teaching right now. I will start reading to the students tomorrow and will start teaching Science on Monday. I’m about to go grocery shopping for my lunches and then go work out with Debra. I shouldn’t have any problem falling asleep tonight. I am sooo worn out, and any energy I may have left right now is about to get worked out.

Oh, my commute is definitely better than most people in the area. I am going opposite of the traffic in the morning and afternoon. I left the house at 7 this morning and was in the front office by 7:45 after having to stop for gas, passing up the road that my map said to take, parking on the wrong side of the school and walking to the front. Then this afternoon I left at 4:30 and made it to Tim’s by 5. Very nice.

Tomorrow should be better, I’ll know the routine better and will hopefully actually eat breakfast.