I've created a monster

Okay, it is no great shock to anyone when I reveal my love for the BBC TV show- Doctor Who. It is one of the few very geeky things I love and can talk about for hours. I have the CDs, the DVDs, and one day I hope to have my very own sonic screwdriver (j/k though if it worked I wouldn't say no). I have a picture up next to my Order of the Phoenix poster and I watch (and can quote) the episodes quite often.

Well one Sunday night the parents and I were getting ready for Who night, Lu was still there and was watching a bit with me. I explained that this was the Doctor and that was Rose. Over the next few weeks I would pull out the DVD set and ask her who was who, every time she answered correctly and we started adding words like Tardis, Time Vortex, and Bad Wolf (eventually Time Lord, Capt. Jack, and Torchwood followed).

Hilary finally decided to borrow my DVDs and I sent them home with Lu, asking her to take care of our Doctor for me. The following are three instances that have happened since that day two weeks ago:

Phone conversation number 1-

Lu: I watchin the Doctor
Me: Are you
Lu: and Rose
Me: Really?
Lu: Uh-huh. And Tardis.
Me: Do you like them
Lu: Uh-huh. Rose not die.
Me: No she didnt.


Phone conversation number 2-

Lu: Timmy, I have monsters in my room

Me: Oh no.

L: It’s okay the Doctor got rid of them for me.

M: (holding back a laugh) He did?

L: Uh-huh. He’s my friend.

M: Really?

L: I have his picture.

M: Do you?

L: Yes, Doctor and Rose.

Then she went on to tell me that when she gets scared she knows it is okay cause the Doctor will come and save her.

Phone Conversation number 3-

Lu: Timmy, you know the doctor?

Me: Yes

Lu: He so handsome

What can I say the girl has good taste, David Tennant is quite an attractive man (so is Christopher Eccleston for that matter).

and finally...

Lu was at my parents yesterday and she decided we were going to play Doctor Who. She was the Doctor and I was 'Rosie'. We even had a Tardis which so so carefully unlocked and made us move around like we were flying. There also seemed to be an elephant on the Tardis- don't know where that came from. She is just so cute. I love her imagination.

So, yes I have created a monster...not that I am complaining too much.

Only six more days till season 4!!!!

Adventures in Student Teaching Week 7

What, you say. I haven’t taught this week. Right you are, but there is still a reflection due and in all honesty I have thought a lot about teaching this past week and what I need to do.

The week before I started my student teaching my cooperating teaching and I sat down to talk about a few things. It was during this talk that she gave me a bit of advice that I have mulled over ever since: You are the most important person in the classroom. It boils down to if I am not happy or enjoying the lesson neither will the students. The last two weeks or so, I haven’t been happy.

It isn’t that I don’t enjoy student teaching, I love it. I wish I could teach all day long and look forward to the day when it will be my full time job. The problem is I feel overwhelmed. I know that I have touched on how difficult it is to work full time and teach, when I add that with everything else that I need to do in my life I feel like I need 36 hours in each day, just so I can get a few hours of sleep. I had to fly across the country to get away from everything and relax for a few days, I’ve never had to do that before.

I’ve always been the overachiever, someone who can take on multiple tasks and fulfill them, I’ve just never had to keep it up for this long before. This isn’t meant to be whining, whining won’t help in this situation, but I am currently at a loss on how to resolve the situation.

Maybe if things were a little easier in the classroom, they are getting better and I think the situation will continue to improve as I become more confident in my abilities and the students grow even more accustomed to their new teacher. I still have to figure out what works for me in a classroom management strategy, but the good thing is I am constantly ruling out what doesn’t work so that means I must be zeroing in on the right thing.

I wish I knew the answers after a week of pondering how to change things in the classroom, unfortunately I still don’t. So until then I will take one day at a time and work out how to make sure I am happy in my current assignment.

Hey all-

Well I am finally back home in good old SLC and I have to say I am counting down the next 15 weeks till I get to see E again. I could wax sentimental here and go on and on about how wonderful she is and how much her friendship means to me (oh and just because I don't do it here doesn't mean you won't see it in the next few days or so).

So I am sure you are all dying to hear stories about what we did. E, what did we do? In all honesty we hung out. There is no other way to describe it. It was like I lived next door and we were just spending time together- it was brilliant. Here is a quick list of things that we did, if you'd like the full story let me know.

1- Found a bridge
2- Worked on Confessions
3- Planned World takeover
4- Came up with a brilliant idea
5- Played DDR (I so suck at that - E is a pro)
6- Watched all 12 episodes of Torchwood season 2 (I am waiting for that season finale)
6b. Went on and on about how gorgeous John Barrowman is (oh and we want our own Ianto)
7- Planned a 5K in Kansas with Erin Anne , we'll have breakfast after. Why Kansas- why not?
8- Met Thelma, turned down offer to view mummies
9- Cooked
10- Planned our trip up the PCH
11- Provided Doctor Who therapy to those in need
12- Giggled more than was humanly possible
13- Chased the dogs down the street- wearing sensible shoes
14- Planed our vacations for the next five years or so, our poor children
15- Hiked in the mud
16- Couldn't find a bowling alley that would take us
17- Conducted a research project on cars and gas mileage
18- Ate chocolate and desserts
19- Had a wonderful time.

Honestly, it was a great vacation and it makes me sad that I live across the country from her. At least I get to see her twice more this year.

He Lives

It is Easter morning and I am hoping you will indulge me for a few moments as I reflect on this day.
Easter has always been one of my favorite times of year. I love the symbolism of life and hope returning after the dark, cold days of winter. I love that the world is being born anew, I love what the season means.

This year I also knew was the first Easter Sunday that I would not be attending church. I wanted to do something that would make me remember the reason we celebrate this day- beyond the ham and the chocolate rabbits. So this week, I worked on reading the March Ensign. This was a beautiful reminder of my Savior and the role he has played in my life. I have reflected on this the past week and found myself moving closer towards him. I still have a long way to go. I am no where near perfect. I make mistakes, I struggle, there are times that force myself to do the things that I should- but He is always there.

Last week my little choir sang, 'I Believe in Christ'. This has always been a favorite of mine and I wanted to perform it as a tribute before Easter. There is a line in that song that makes me sing out in pride and makes my eyes well with tears. It says: I believe in Christ so come what may, with Him I'll stand at that great day. It is the trust that is put in Him when I sing so come what may. The heartaches and the struggles I am willing to face, because He will be there. There have been heartaches, there will continue to be struggles, but with him as my Savior, I will overcome.

I have no doubt that He lives. I have no doubt that he is my Savior, my brother, my friend. He loves us and cares for us. He will continue to reach out a hand and ask us to come to Him. He rose that morning 2000 years ago- he appeared to those in Jerusalem and then again to those in America. "He lives, my kind wise heavenly friend. He lives my Savior till the end. Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives- I know that my Redeemer lives."

Country roads take me home

I am off to West Virginia for a much needed vacation! I promise pictures and stories of my time away when I get back.

Have a happy Easter!

Adventures in Student Teaching Week 6

Overwhelmed. Exhausted. Frustrated. Tired. Those are just some of the words that describe this past week. Student Teaching has been more of a roller coaster than I thought it would be and that is saying something.

It was the end of term this week. So in the midst of everything else I spent my nights (and really early mornings) grading final papers. For the most part I was pleased with the papers. I can see how much all my students continue to improve as writers and how their insights into the literature are continuing to deepen. One night while I was grading I noticed that the paper I was reading seemed vaguely familiar. I pulled out a paper I had graded previously and noticed that they were essentially the same paper. It wasn't word for word, but was still the same thing. Before issuing a grade I asked three other teachers to read the papers. I didn't tell them anything about my suspicions but they quickly confirmed what I already knew. I was then at a loss, I wasn't sure how to handle this situation. Thank heavens for my cooperating teacher. Ruthie, told me simply to half the score then on the other paper write see Johnny for the other half of your score.

When the boys came to class that morning they had already seen what their scores were and asked why. I explained to them and the protests started. They claimed they worked on it together, I pointed out that there is a difference of working together and writing the same paper. Later in the period I began to grade another paper, only to find it the same as the two others I had already graded. I called all three students up, and told them that the score would now be divided three ways. They continued to protest, but finally one of them admitted to what they had done. He tried to take the entire blame himself, saying that was the one who had copied. I thanked him for his admission but pointed out all three were still responsible for what had happened and all three would accept the consequences. It was a tough moment. I felt bad, but at the same time they need to learn that what they did was wrong.

The week continued to go that way. I told students I would accept work up until the moment I walked in Thursday morning. It would be marked late, but some points were better than no points. I had students who just didn't turn in assignments, or were upset when I couldn't accept them after Spring Break. Unfortunately the end of the term is not a date I can change. I was so frustrated with these students who are supposed to be honor's they are supposed to know better. I know that there are some that question if I am getting a proper experience in student teaching when I have the honor's classes. The thing is, I know there are challenges that I am not facing in the honors classes. I have few ELL learners and minor disruptions, but there are also a whole new set of challenges. I know that most think that honors classes are the Mecca of teachers- I am here to state that they are not everything that they seem to be. It is hard tough work. I have students who act up, I have students who are disruptive, I have students who don't turn in work, I have students who talk back. When it comes down to it teenagers are still teenagers- honors students or not.

Of course the week wasn't all bad. We are reading 'A Doll's House' right now, and I have one student who is so excited about it. She is reading Nora and she reads it with such a passion that I just smile. Hilary has such a yearning for learning. She reads ahead, she asks me for book suggestion about a topic she wants to learn more about. She is a true pleasure to teach.

My one ELL learner is going to pass the class. He has worked so hard this past week and just the thought of him passing makes me want to cry, I am so happy.

So I guess when it comes down to it. It was just a regular week. Ups and downs, but I am so grateful that it is now spring break- I don't think I could have lasted another week.

Adventures in Student Teaching Week 5

I am not sure if the weeks are actually getting longer, or if Daylight Savings has wreaked havoc on my system. Needless to say, it was yet another delightful week of teaching.

My week started with us finishing up ‘The Great Gatsby’ movie. I know I fought watching it, but it really was the right decision. The kids have a better grasp on the story now and I think they were able to really see a different view point. I loved it when they would shout out saying, “Wait this didn’t happen in the book.” Or “If you don’t see Daisy hit Myrtle you have no idea it wasn’t really an accident.” It was times like those I felt the previous weeks we had discussed the book had not gone to waste.

I also assigned their final essay for the book, which is due next week. As they have been trickling in I am amazed at the grasp some of my students have on the story and interpreting it. I have one student who just transferred into the class at the semester. He didn’t want to be in an honor’s class, but his regular English teacher insisted he was wasting his time in the class. He is very timid but I have been able talk to him for a few minutes before class has started about what he read the night before and get him share his thoughts. His paper was astounding, and all I could think was it is such a pleasure teaching him and how I wish he could see what I, and his other teachers, can see in his skills as a writer.

I had another student this week, who when I said the class would be reading Night in the next few weeks as part of our unit on realism, went out and read it that night. She thought it might help her understand more of the history for a play she is doing. We sat and talked and she told me how much the book had touched her. I was pleased to see that she had taken the initiative to read a book outside of class time that we are not reading until after Spring Break.

Even with all this I still have the students who try me and see what they can get away with while they have a student teacher. I have one yesterday who used the hall pass and never came back. Another who tried to attend a class that wasn’t his- with a friend. The classes as a whole still have a hard time focusing in when it is time to work and I have yet to find the classroom management technique that works for me to get their attention. Right now I stand at the front of the room with my arms crossed, and wait for silence. It seems to work- but it takes so long. I think that is one of the hardest things about student teaching, they aren’t really your students so it is hard to change the techniques and rules that they are used to.

I had a curve ball thrown at me this week in regards to my lesson plans. I had planned on starting our realism unit with Night and Hiroshima and to introduce these books we were going to have a PowerPoint on the Holocaust and the atomic bomb dropping. Tuesday afternoon I found out that the books we needed were being used by another teacher and that we would have to start ‘A Doll’s House’ the next day. I hadn’t prepared anything to introduce the play, thinking that I still had at least a week before we started.

I threw myself into panic mode and came up with a lesson plan during intermission of ‘Civil War.’ The lesson ended up being one of the better ones I have come up with. We talked about controversy and why things are a controversial issue. As this is one of the major points of the play- and something that realism is based on. I really want the kids to connect. It worked well in some classes, others didn’t seem to want to participate much, but over all it was a great activity. I am excited for this unit now!

While you were out

The boys decided my work space needed a dream makeover....







Yup, we get a lot done!

They're mine

Aunt Timmy proudly presents

Her Lu and Bean



They are mine, and at this point I am not ready to give them up.

I talked with Lu on the phone yesterday, and when my mom said that it was time for her to go home she started crying saying, "I don't want you to leave Timmy, I wanna talk to you." She is honestly the light in most my days and I hate that she doesn't live 5 minutes a way anymore. I wish the plan to move into a duplex with Hilary and Bart had worked out, just so I could see my Lu every day.

Adventures in Student Teaching Week 4

Ah Friday- we are together again. I don't know why I get so excited. I am at work until nine and then of course my weekends are not as relaxing as I hope they could be. I am really ready for a nap too- at least I am finally over this stupid cold.

I know that this is probably boring for about 90% of you to read, but I use it as my weekly reflection paper for class (give or take a few snarky comments) plus it helps me gather my thoughts about the week and how I just might succeed as a teacher.

It amazes me how fast the weeks go by. I remember, like it was just a few short hours ago, staring into the endless abyss that was Monday, now here we are on Friday and another week is over.

Okay, let's start with Monday when my supervisor came to observe me (no warning), showed up late (which I found rude), stayed for about 30 mins (good thing I didn't have them write first), gave me a satisfactory on my dress (I was in slacks and a blouse for heaven sakes!), and then left with about 50 mins still left in class. Yes, I am sure she got a great idea how I was teaching.
All in all it was a good week. It had its up and downs but nothing too shocking. We are in the final wrap up of Gatsby, in fact we just have to finish the movie and they have to write their final essay. It has been a good learning experience for me. See, I know this book inside out. I have been preparing to teach it for about a year now, well I put things in action the past few weeks and found what worked and what didn’t. There are times that I felt we rushed the novel, but I also know that if we dragged it out anymore that it would have been too much. There is so much about that book, or any piece of literature, that can’t be gleaned in one reading. Maybe I was trying to get them to see too much- I don’t know.

One thing I did learn this week is that movie days were made for teachers, not students in mind. I had avoided showing them the movie, but finally decided that they needed the extra help to understand the whole novel. Well let’s just say in the past two days I have gotten more accomplished than I ever hoped and got a jump start on our next unit. The kids seem to finally get it, it is like the movie is filling in the last piece of the puzzle.

I am tired of cell phones in class. The school has a rather strict policy of no cell phones in school- well no one seems to follow that. It doesn’t matter how many times I ask for the phone to be put away it always seems to come back out. Yet another illustration on how far I still have to come on classroom management. You know it is funny, up to this experience I would have said I had classroom management down. It had always been a strong point for me when I taught before, but now I feel like I am back at the starting gate. I asked my cooperating teacher about it and she mentioned that all her classes are like this right now, she even has a hard time trying to get them to behave. We went over some new ideas and I hope that they might work. The kids were good today, so maybe that is a good sign. We shall see.

I am finally learning all their names. This has been a struggle for me, but day by day I learn a new name. I am developing relations with them too, which has been nice. It is like they are finally seeing me as their teacher. After four weeks I am glad that has come.

I did have one setback this week, well a few actually. We had been preparing for a test on figurative language for quite a while. They had been studying it since September, we had done activities each week focusing on identifying it, and the day before the test I handed out one more activity to work on. The test is difficult, with that in mind I allowed them to use their notes and the worksheet we had done previously. I was saddened to see that about 70% off the students failed the test. I don’t know what we could have done differently. Needless to say, we rearranged grading on that test and most of the students ended up being okay, but it was still hard.

I also had a student accuse me of loosing her paper. She couldn’t find it in the basket where their work is stored (we don’t return work to the student because of situations like this) or among my no name papers. She was quite rude when I mentioned that she would have to rewrite it. She had insisted that she was in class that day and that she had written the paper. I finally had to show her my records and pointed out that she was absence because of cheerleading that day and that I had not received a paper from her.

Not my best week, nor my worse. I am excited to start a new unit on Wednesday and am excited I have the weekend to put it together, but the good thing is I still love what I am doing.