Student Teaching - Day 65

Well, now that it's done and over, I have to say, it was worth all the sweat, tears, sleepless nights, anxious mornings and semesters of planning.  I really had a blast (even though that last sentence makes it seem really painful--but it mostly applies to the semesters leading UP to my Student Teaching.)

Today, Mrs. Josie surprised me with a book of notes from my students.

Book Cover

Honestly, I shed a few tears (some of laughter!) but all the notes were very sincere and sweet.  I'm going to miss everyone!  Here's a few of my faves just for kicks and giggles:

From a student who claimed to hate computers.

From his friend who loved computers and was VERY good at them.

From all the TA's

From a sweet girl obsessed with Cody, obviously.

From a student who had a traumatic experience at the begging of the semester.
She is seriously the braves girl in that whole school.
(Also very classy, sweet and smart.... and talkative.)

From an awesome TA who worked with me for two class periods.

From my students, some with disabilities, all of whom worked VERY hard to succeed in class!

From the Cody previously mentioned.
He was a sweet kid (even if he did flirt with all the ladies to the point of distraction -- which
was a problem that we worked together on until we were both happy with the arrangement).

In all reality, I am surprised at how easy it was for me to get into a groove.  It's like I got started, got busy and then looked up only to find that that I was at the end.  I am really grateful I had some serious support to make it fun.  Thanks to my cooperating teacher, Josie Reynaud, I can say that it was an amazing experience and very fun to complete!  She told me in the very beginning that the best way to keep my sanity was to go to lunch with her and the ladies every day.  Boy was she right!  Getting to know the Lunch Bunch (a group of VERY fun ladies who probably wish to remain anonymous!) made the time go faster and helped me to laugh at the stuff that didn't really matter.  I found that their friendship made me want to work in a school more than anything. It was nice to have teachers and staff members see me as a co-worker, even though I was a volunteer.  Thanks to everyone at SHHS who made me fall in love teaching!

Student Teaching - Day 27

Today was great!  I felt more relaxed, had more fun and got to know more students.

I am really starting to enjoy getting to know each student and their personalities.

I keep seeing students who were behind or struggling come in after school and during lunch, so I feel like I am making a lot of progress and helping them to improve.  

Funny story: 
Last week I caught one of my students sluffing his English class and I told him that I had lost some trust because it wasn't very responsible for him to leave his group hanging and have to do a presentation without him.  I told him so when he asked to use the restroom.  Today, he came and asked me to use the restroom and before I could respond with my usual, "Yes, please just take the hall pass and be fast," he blurts out, "Don't worry!  I'll come back!"  I let my guard down and laughed really hard because I had totally forgiven and forgotten last week's experience.  But I'm glad to know that he's still looking over his shoulder!

FBLA / PBL story:

Today I got to be the backup guest speaker for the FBLA luncheon.  I talked about my experience with PBL in San Antonio, Texas and helped the students to strategize their competition time by breaking it up into smaller chunks.  It is fun to see students at the beginning of their professional experiences and be there to encourage them.

A Poem for My Father

heavy as honey
full as an ocean
the waves from your throat
reverberate,
rotating every cell
as they travel through my spine
into my core

thick as rain
smooth as the skin behind your ears
the wisdom from your past
seeps into my present thoughts
lifting the dense fog in my mind

where there was black and grey
in an instant there is clarity
colors combining
now only white exists

as each vulnerability is exposed
my inner self rises higher and higher
until I am no longer in my stiff chair
but flying above the conversation
seeking a place to
re-evaluate
re-examine
re-arrange
my faulty conclusions

Weightless contemplation
is the un-seen side effect
of your tone.