Flexibility

Got an email.

In a nutshell, it says, "Plans have changed. Prepare for two periods of eighth grade English, too."

Surprise.

(Especially since I was told in the interview how much the leadership of the school hates to give multiple grade levels to the same teacher.)

I know some of you are teaching two different grade levels as well, right? 

How much are you overlapping the two? 

Can I overlap?

Can I even use the same vehicles?

...

Oh Flexibility, will I ever attain you?

Today I am Pinning About

Ladies,

Perhaps this should be the last thing on my mind, but since finals zapped my brain and I need a mindless, fun project--today I am thinking about classroom decor. I want my classroom to be cheery, colorful, and not cliche. I figure, since I am going to be spending a lot of time there, I may as well make it fun.

I found these:
Lit Term Poster
And thought they were fantastic. I bet I could make something like this on photoshop, and print it for cheaper. Anyone interested?

I also liked these... Might make the late work table more festive? Does that send the wrong message?

Also, I want pictures of book covers all over my room! And books are the best decoration, of course.

How do YOU want to decorate your classroom? Should we get together and have a decorating party?

Alice in 7th grade

Ok girls. WE are all teaching next year and we need to generate some ideas! I'm teaching 7th & 9th and I think I have a grand idea for my classroom.

Alice in Wonderland Theme

• Class baskets that say "Pass me" "Turn me in" "I'm Late" (Like eat me, Drink me)
• White Rabbit with a giant clock that shows the schedule
• Either 1. Caterpillar word wall, or 2. "Who areeee Youuuu?" Project with caterpillar
• Rabbit Hole Door
• Signs saying "Writing Utensils this way" "Paper that way" etc.
• Giant Playing Cards to decorate bulletin boards with
• A big tree with a branch in one corner with the cheshire cat on a limb. 
• Then big mushroom pillows for reading.
• Or tea cup chairs....
• White Silk Roses painted drippy red in faux flower boxes
• A big scroll map that shows the calendar with Alice Looking at it.
• A big black hat like the mad hatters to pull names out of.
• Tweedle dee and Tweedle dum bathroom & library passes
• Classroom Rules with The Red Queen pointing at them (I kind of want to have "Off with your head!" on the poster..but I might get in trouble for that...)
• Big Hanging Flowers from the ceiling
• Giant "tea cups" that hold pencils, markers, pens, scissors, etc.

So, these are my ideas so far and I'm ridiculously excited about them! Let me know what you think and what else I can do to make my room awesome.

Also- time to start creating your own rooms girlas! Throw some ideas out!

Last Week

I have one more week of student teaching
...no more scrutinizing
...no more TWS
...no more professors watching
...no more two hour mondays in the cave of the JFSB

I might miss it


but mostly I'm just thrilled. I can not believe this is really over and that I'm graduating in two weeks. It's a bit surreal and pretty dang exciting. Now it won't matter what anyone else think because I'm not a student anymore! Certified teacher yo! Thank Heavens

Student Teaching/ Internships are for an incredibly short amount of time and they will pass quickly and be done. You have the choice to never go back to that school as well as the choice to stick it to them and dominate their school so that they have to keep you. It's all about you and how you choose to look at it. If nothing else remember this;

Doctrine and Covenants 121:7

7 My son (my daughter), peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions(and thy student teaching) shall be but a small moment;

I promise...

I promise...

... not to allow this blog to become the place where I vent about how completely absurd teaching can be...

...where you go into your first "official" department meeting...

.... get introduced as the new English intern....

...only to learn that the department chair knows nothing about you, and the other English teachers actually snuff you and say in front of your face, "We got an intern? Why'd we go and do that?" rather than welcoming you to the school.

I also promise...

not to use this blog to complain about how territorial and defensive teachers can be...

...asking me "What grade are you going to be teaching, huh?" or "So, what are your qualifications?"...

...thinking that your hiring means one of them are being fired, and they're trying to figure out who's leaving.

I also promise...

...not to use this blog to break down emotionally and cry because I've never actually felt like I was completely and utterly unwanted...

...and I've never actually thought that teachers could be so.... heartless. 

I also promise...

...not to let any of this get me down...

....at least...

after today.

Really.

I promise.

I'll be better- Promise

OK, So I've failed as the pioneer of this blog, but I'm back.

Honestly I think what made me leave was the stress of teaching.

Once you get home from a day of yelling over excited and bored 11th graders, helping those who didn't take the quiz last time, grading the last hours project, and cleaning the overheads.....

turns out you'd rather not re-live the day :)

But I'm finding out that I can do this, You guys can do this! We are the amazing exception to the rule. A certain professor is always telling me how amazed she is at the student teachers who just fail.

just fail at everything

They make everything like pulling teeth
they're at school for hours after 3
they complain
they are complained about
they have concerns and questions and qualms and who knows what else.

But then there are people like us ( I'm placing you all in this category because I have faith that you will be a part of it)

Teachers who teach, and teach like wow every day
we put our heart and soul into our lesson plans
and sincerely love our students (in that teacher sort of way)
the ones who go home at 3 and leave their schoolwork, grading, students, and planning at school

WE are the ones who go home to our husbands at night and cook a good dinner, sit down, eat it with the hubs then go to bed on time ( with whatever various activities thrown in between)

I'm telling you the key to success here girls so pay attention!

Do not let teaching rule your lives, teach well, but do not let it consume you. Your students will love you for it, your university supervisor will praise you for it, and your husband will kiss the crap out of you for it!

We are half-way through this semester girls and we are going to rock it.

Validation

What's the one thing I hear repeatedly among new teachers? Answer: Teachers are unappreciated/undervalued and are hardly ever validated. 

Ba. Hum. Bug. 

Well, I'm still in my idealistic phase, and I want to put an end to this under-appreciated trend.

As someone who secretly lives off of validation, I thought I would pass this on to a new and very appreciated teacher...aka Mrs. Otto.

Dear Mrs. Otto,

Below is a word-for-word quotation from a prominent member of our English Education Department:

"So, I was observing a student teacher over in Lehi..."

(This is the part where I chimed in and annoyingly asked "Ooo! Ooo! Ooo! Is it Sydney?" The answer was yes.)

"...and...well...Let's just say that I wish you all could observe her teach. She has such a way with her students--they just love her and everything she does. She has a great control over the classroom atmosphere and the students just mirror her and her excitement and passion. She's such a great teacher."

Yup. Yup. Validation. 

Love,

A fellow new teacher

Don't Give Up - Never Give Up.

So today was the first day IN THE CLASS for the Practicum. I met my placement teacher and found out what? That his internship has motivated him to give up teaching. So sad. He said he wanted to be a teacher to teach "ideas" and found himself only teaching things like Prefixes/Suffixes and Text Features (like bolded words and italics and bullet points, etc.). It made me sad... and a little scared for the experiences to come.

But guess what? In our prefix/suffix lesson, two students came up with some awesome words as examples!

UNFATHOMABLE (attention to the prefix UN- and suffix -ABLE)

PREDETONATION (PRE- and -TION)

What 7th graders use these words? Ones we can teach IDEAS to.

It gave me hope.

No giving up, guys. No giving up.

teaching

Can I just tell you all that teaching is....tiring. You think you know what tired is, then you go to school and hang out with a bunch of high-energy fire-bombs, aka students, and you REALLY KNOW what tired is. Oish.
Also- Does anyone know anything about the Masters program-the creative writing one? Im thinking about it....
-syd

Day 1

well fellow teachers and teacher's pets, it has begun!
 Day 1 of student teaching was pretty uneventful- lots of watching and learning and organizing (thank heavens)
I need to hear about school! and what's going on and who's teaching what and and and and
guys my husband (bahaha) just sent me this link...... you might die. This has nothing to do with teaching